Sixteen talented young people took to the stage in Mansfield to showcase their skills at a special celebration for Nottinghamshire’s foster children and fostering families.

Fostering’s Got Talent, organised by Nottinghamshire County Council, saw the local fostering community come together at West Notts College’s Create Theatre.

They celebrated the young people’s talents while meeting and socialising with fellow foster caring families.

The annual talent contest is one of the many events organised by the council’s fostering team throughout the year to bring foster caring families together.

This year’s event showcased skills including dancing, singing and poetry.

The winner, selected by audience votes, was a 16-year-old girl who sang Journey To The Past by Anastasia.

She said: “I was so nervous when I was up there, but I tried to keep going. I had been practising for weeks.”

Her foster carer added: “We are so proud of her performance. She did so well, despite being nervous, and we couldn’t be happier that she won”

They won tickets to the live semi-final of ITV show Britain’s Got Talent in London, courtesy of Fremantle and Thames TV. Runners-up received Love2Shop vouchers and certificates.

The event also featured performances from two of the council’s fostering staff.

Coun Tracey Taylor and Coun Sinead Anderson, cabinet member and deputy cabinet member for Children and Families respectively, attended the event and thanked the fostering community in Nottinghamshire.

Tracey, who praised the young people taking part as well as paying tribute to the tireless work of the county’s foster carers, said: “It was wonderful to see so many young people displaying their amazing talents in front of an audience.

“They can all be really proud of putting on such a fantastic show. It was a great evening and a great way to showcase some of the fantastic talent we have in Nottinghamshire.

“Foster carers throughout the county play a very important role in supporting some of our most vulnerable young people, but events like this show how much they thrive with care and the encouragement to follow their interests and passions.

“Fostering’s Got Talent is one of many events run throughout the year where our foster families can connect and socialise. Our foster carers always tell us how important the support they receive from their peers is, and our teams work hard to ensure that foster carers have lots of opportunities to meet with each other and discuss their experiences.

“When you foster with us, we provide comprehensive training, lots of great benefits and support for our foster carers in the important work they do. The fostering community in Nottinghamshire really is something special.”

Anyone interested in fostering can get in touch with Foster For East Midlands at www.fosterforeastmidlands.org.uk