A FORMER Saints and England star will be in Hampshire today to raise awareness of foster care.
Mark Wright will be at Paultons Park in the New Forest taking part in a car rally for Foster Care Fortnight.
A foster carer himself, he will answer questions from the public about the rewards of caring for vulnerable children and how to get involved.
According to the Fostering Network charity, there is a shortfall of 1,500 carers in the south and an urgent need for “resilient and compassionate” volunteers.
Mark said: “When people look at me and at my career as a tough-tackling centre-half they probably don’t picture me as a foster carer.
“However, I am passionate about giving disadvantaged children the opportunity to get on a positive path in life, and that is the same for any other carer, no matter what background they are from.”
He added: “It will be fantastic to be back in Southampton to talk to people about my experience as a foster carer.”
The event, which takes place from 11am to 2pm, is organised by FCA, the UK’s largest independent fostering agency, which is taking ten Fiat 500 cars around ten cities in ten days during the fortnight.
For more details on fostering, call FCA on 0800 023 4561 or visit thefca.co.uk.
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