Our Exciting Partnership with John Lewis

Raising Awareness of Care:

Our Exciting Partnership with John Lewis

Originally written by Marie-Claire Jones, Director of Fundraising and Communications, for the Big Issue but adapted for SpeakOut.

Every year, the John Lewis Christmas advert is a national talking point. But this year, the John Lewis Partnership has decided to do something different. This year it tells a story about another type of family: a foster family, welcoming a teenage girl, Ellie, into their home.

This is just the start of the retailer’s commitment to the Care Experienced community. In October, we were excited to announce that, alongside Action for Children, we’ve been selected as the national charity partner of the John Lewis Partnership.

We’re delighted with the ad, especially with our logos appearing at the end and the fact that the retailer – which includes all John Lewis and Waitrose stores – will be raising funds for our work.

Our learning, from what we’ve heard over five decades, tells us that Care Experienced people, from birth to old age, continue to have their rights diluted, infringed, or disregarded altogether. We’ve had an Independent Care Review, which led to the publication of The Promise, setting out a blueprint for Scotland to create a care system with love at the heart.

But policy and legislation can only take us so far. We know, that for positive change to be felt in full, the public will need to know and understand care, and care experience.

This is why support from a major household name like John Lewis is so important to our care community.

Now, with the strength of the John Lewis Partnership behind us, and with it, all its creative powers to capture the public attention, we are excited about where this could take us.

It’s not just over the festive period that we’re partnered with John Lewis. This is part of their bigger commitment and their Building Happier Futures programme which aims to help young people leaving care find meaningful employment.

“We are absolutely delighted that the John Lewis Partnership will use its tremendous presence and platform to make a real difference to Care Experienced people. We know that all children and young people need support, love and nurture in order to thrive, but for our children and young people with experience of care, those elements might not always have been present. Who Cares? Scotland is the only national, membership organisation for people who have experienced the care system. Our vision is a lifetime of equality, respect and love and at the heart of our work are the rights of Care Experienced people, and the power of their voices to bring about positive change. We provide advocacy as well as a range of opportunities for Care Experienced people to come together for friendship, connection and to feel a powerful sense of belonging.

“I am also honoured to be a part of the Building Better Futures Advisory Group. Every child in the UK should feel equal, loved and respected, and we know that so often this isn’t the reality for Care Experienced people. There is only so much we can do within our own organisations to demand the right to better lives for Care Experienced children and young people. This advisory group brings together significant expertise, huge potential and, most importantly, real commitment to working together to make a difference.” Louise Hunter, CEO of Who Cares? Scotland.