Mentoring Stories: Resilient Foster Care

The hope of profit is often a driving force for entrepreneurs. However, financial gain is not always a motivation for starting a business.  

Nigel Fenlon and Hannah Rogers could see that the foster carers they worked with were losing faith in the agency and were considering giving up fostering altogether. They decided to step in, setting up their own agency in the South Wales Valleys – Resilient Foster Care. 

Over the last five years, Nigel and Hannah have created strong relationships with the foster carers and young people, regularly getting together for activities like canoeing, archery, and mountain walking – creating memorable experiences to last a lifetime.  

They said: “Our motivation is maintaining an environment that is beneficial to young people and we put this at the heart of everything we do. It is not, and never will be, a money-making enterprise.” 

Nigel and Hannah sought guidance from PRIME Cymru when setting up their agency. They were paired with mentor Brian Birtles, who gave them the confidence to move forward with their business plans.  

Nigel said: “Brian was very supportive – he understood what we were trying to achieve.”  

“If you have a decent idea, and the passion and commitment to make it happen, I recommend mentoring. A mentor can prevent you from being put off by filling your gaps in business knowledge.”  

Thanks to this encouragement, Resilient Foster Care was formed. It continues to make a positive difference, and provide a sense of belonging, to its foster carers and the young people placed with them. 

For free business mentoring, please contact PRIME Cymru on 01550 721813, or email enquiries@primecymru.co.uk. 

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