This weekend is a big one at Wildcats HQ, not only is it our Christmas spectacular game but it is also our annual Teddy Bear Toss game which this year everything is being donated to Swindon Borough Council’s Fostering Service and we’re sure you’ll agree what a superb cause this is.

Foster carers change the lives of young people who are often in need of a caring family at a critical point in their lives. Often, support and guidance at the right time will set a child on a positive path through their life and open them up to experiences they never would have had otherwise.

There are plenty of different reasons this is a superb cause doing some amazing work in the community, listed below are just a few of these reasons why we are proud to support this at the game on Saturday.

  • Swindon Borough Council is looking for more foster carers to offer support and guidance to children in Swindon and help keep them in the borough
  • Foster care is often the best way to make sure a child is safe and cared for if they can no longer stay with their family, which can happen for a number of reasons including relationship problems, welfare concerns or parents’ illness
  • The Council wants to encourage more people to find out more about becoming a foster carer, the different types of fostering, what they’re looking for in a foster family and what carers will get in return
  • There are many ways people can get in touch to find out more: visit the Council’s website, call the team for a chat on 07917 503447 or chat to the team at the game on Saturday, 15 December.

All of the teddy bears will be given to foster children as Christmas presents which we know they’ll love. Remember the golden rules for the teddy bear toss are:

  1. Buy a new teddy bear or two (no taller than 12 inches preferably) which MUST include a CE label (which ensures that the manufacturer has checked that these products meet EU safety, health or environmental requirements).
  2. Place it in a clear plastic bag (for protection from the surface of the ice) and tie the top closed.
  3. Bring it to the game against the Invicta Dynamos on Saturday 15th December.
  4. Wait for the first Wildcats goal of the game to be scored (of course, you should always also continue cheering the team on until we score!)
  5. Throw your teddy on to the ice rink as soon as the goal goes in!  Whether you’re Rink-side or in the balcony, MAKE THE FUR FLY! If the Wildcats fail to score during the 60-minutes, fans will toss the teddy bears anyway – straight after the final buzzer.