Val has been supporting us with recruiting new foster carers at Caritas Care for the last two years; her support has been much valued. Some of the enquirers referred by Val are now approved foster carers and much-welcomed addition to the Caritas Care family, providing an outstanding job caring for children.

Val has also prepared case studies for us of existing foster carers, staff, and a care leaver to be used for marketing our agency. Val does an excellent job of this, ensuring the individuals feel their voice is heard and communicated and comfortable with the content presented.

The #facesoffostering campaign has been one of our most successful campaigns to date, and we are very grateful for Val’s significant contribution.

Our paths crossed with Val at a perfect point where two charities could work together to support families who use our hospitals within the NCA. Val has been so flexible and supportive to our service (swan charity within the NCA) and has helped us considerably to be able to continue to provide a universal offer to all families of the use of knitted hearts and bears with children and adults where someone in their lives is sick, dying or sadly died.

The idea being, knitted hearts or bears are identical pairs; one is with the family and one with the person who died; this creates a link between them. In the early days following a death, comfort can come from just holding the bear/heart, knowing they have a link to the person (where they can talk to it, squeeze it, hug it, whatever helps), as time and their grief evolve the meaning and importance of this item may change and evolve.

During the height of Covid, these items were significant for all our patients as people could not visit, but ongoing they are still important and really helpful for families to create comfort. Val has totally embraced and understood what we are trying to achieve. With her enthusiasm, she is helping us to keep this going and reinvigorate the passion for people to support this campaign, especially when we are all a little ‘Covid tired’. Val is so caring and has a passion for people and their wellbeing.

I have received a lot of help from Verve Recruitment and the links from the Verve blogs. I met Val Hogan at a conference in 2019, and since then, we have had an active friendship and partnership. I totally support Vere Recruitment in all it does to provide quality foster care for vulnerable children. Through Verve, I have made links with other like-minded charities; subsequently, we have been able to work together for the good of families.

We have had help from a wide area to knit for the deprived children and babies; this campaign continues to provide warm clothing for them. We also supply through these blogs Bonding blankets for premature babies and mums, bereavement blanks and comfort hearts and toys for those dying or the bereaved families, comfort toys for fostered children.

Also, Salford Food Parcels provide food and essentials; we had received cries for help when Verve published the blogs, for Salford Food Parcels. Our public profile has gone up, and through this campaign, we have been able to help those in need or direct them to get help.

Networking is vital in local charities, and Verve helps Not for Profit’s link to each other, and we can promote many other projects via these blogs.

I have received so much help, even when I am just mulling over things with Val Hogan, Verve’s director; I recommend Verve in all its aspects to you.

Val is extremely friendly, professional and knowledgeable. I have found Val always makes time for people and really wants to find an agency that is the right fit for the prospective foster carer she is speaking to. Val goes the extra mile wants to ensure vulnerable children are matched with the right home. I have really enjoyed working with Val over the last year, and I’m sure this will continue to be the case for a long time.

‘When we receive an enquiry from Verve, they are detailed and give us a good understanding of the desires and experience of the applicants. I get a real sense that we are all working towards the same goal.’

‘Val listens to our needs as an agency and shows a good understanding of the independent fostering sector. She is knowledgeable and friendly, which makes working with her a positive experience.’

‘My name is Jasmin, Founder & CEO of Women with Wings C.I.C. I met Val from Verve Recruitment three years ago at an event in Manchester. We spoke and connected together due to the nature of our work, which is supporting families in our community. Our organisation supports women and their families to improve lives; during the pandemic, we supported these families with food essentials, care products, and baby essentials. During those times, Verve has supported our organisation by providing children’s clothes as well as knitted items such as Baby clothes, baby blankets, cardigans, socks, hats and gloves for new babies and grown children and other items. The ladies we support gratefully received these items, and they helped them a lot during wintertime.

Also, Verve Recruitment helped to raise awareness of the Diaspora Food Parcel Project by creating a social campaign. This campaign increased our members through Food Parcels, which meant we could support many more families throughout Greater Manchester.

We are still supporting each other through our work, and our connection is growing stronger and stronger. We at Women with Wings are grateful and appreciate all the help and support we have received and continue to receive.’