We’re delighted to invite you to our free Kinship roadshow in Walsall. A place where you’ll meet other kinship carers just like you and where you can connect and learn together.
To get a sense of what to expect, watch our short video where we follow Kieron, a kinship carer to his 3 grandchildren, as he attends a Kinship Roadshow for the first time.
On this page
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At Kinship, we know how much kinship carers do each day to support and raise children you love. We’re here to help you make connections with other kinship carers and feel more confident to deal with what comes your way.
Our roadshows help you connect with others and get vital information on how to navigate the system and make choices that work for you, so you can get the support your children need and deserve.
This roadshow is open to all kinship carers at any stage of their kinship journey.
A kinship carer is someone who steps in to raise a child when their parents can’t. They’re usually grandparents, aunts or uncles, brothers or sisters and sometimes friends.
The event is facilitated by our Kinship team, which includes kinship carers. There will be opportunities to share experiences, in small groups, but there is no pressure to talk if you don’t want to. Just do whatever you’re comfortable with. And if you need to, there will also be plenty of space to take some time out.
What happens on the day
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9.30am
Registration
Arrive and register – grab yourself a cuppa and meet the Kinship team.
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10am
A warm welcome
Get to know each other and learn more about the practicalities of being a kinship carer.
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10.45am to 11.45am
Living as a kinship carer – practical sessions to support you
These sessions will take place at the same time and you’ll swap in the afternoon. This keeps the sessions smaller so it easier to chat with each other. The sessions will cover: (1) tips for managing contact with family members; and (2) an introduction to trauma and attachment.
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12pm to 12.30pm
Supporting your kinship child at school
Introduction: Practical tools and tips to navigate schools and what support you should ask for.
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12.30pm to 1.15pm
Lunch and informal marketplace
Have a delicious lunch, chat with others, get some fresh air and browse our informal marketplace where you can meet organisations who can support you in your local area.
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1.15pm to 2.15pm
Living as a kinship carer – practical sessions to support you
These sessions will take place at the same time and and you’ll go to the one you didn’t attend in the morning: (1) tips for managing contact with family members; and (2) an introduction to trauma and attachment.
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2.15pm
Leaving as friends
Where else to get support and what’s next.
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2.30pm
Close
About the venue
Our Kinship Roadshow Walsall takes place at Walsall Football Club, Poundland Bescot Stadium, Bescot Crescent, Walsall, WS1 4SA. The venue is approximately two miles from Walsall town centre and is easy to reach by public transport.
Walsall Football Club offers plenty of free parking. The stadium is less than a mile from Junction 9 of the M6 motorway.
For directions and to view a map of parking locations, visit the Walsall Football Club website.
The venue is easy to get to by bus. Visit the Transport for West Midlands website for information about buses from the town centre and to plan your journey.
Bescot Stadium is the closest train station, and is a 5-minute walk to Walsall Football Club.
Please note that Bescot Stadium station doesn’t have a lift from the platform to street level and includes two flights of stairs. For step-free access, please use Walsall Station.
To plan your journey and buy train tickets, visit National Rail or Trainline.
For more details about Bescot Stadium station and its location, visit Bescot Stadium on National Rail.
Accessibility
The venue is fully accessible with step-free access. If you have any additional accessibility needs, you will be asked about this in our booking form. Please let us know so we can make this event as comfortable as possible for you.
Who will be there?
Our roadshows offer a welcoming, supportive space for kinship carers to meet and connect. Many of our staff and facilitators are also kinship carers themselves. This event is open to 60 kinship carers.
Local organisations that support kinship carers will be at our marketplace and available for you to speak with throughout the day. Local authorities will not be in attendance.
The event is organised for you to join us from 9.30am to 2.30pm. We hope you can stay the whole time to attend the different workshops, meet other kinship carers and visit the marketplace. However, we understand that some of you may need to arrive later or leave early. Please let us know at registration if you can only stay for part of the day.
Unfortunately, we ask that children do not attend this event.
Book your space
When you book your free place, we’ll ask you about your experience as a carer, your gender, age, ethnicity and other demographic information. This helps us make sure that the services and experiences we offer are as inclusive as possible and that our advice is relevant to your locality.
We will also ask about your accessibility needs. This is to ensure that you have a comfortable experience on the day.
Get in touch
Our Kinship team, can answer any questions you might have about the roadshow. Please email us at roadshow@kinship.org.uk.
We have other roadshows planned across England. To find out where and when they will be, keep an eye on our events page as we update it with more events or email us at roadshow@kinship.org.uk.
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