Comedian Kiri shares her Fostering story

19 April 2024

Kiri Pritchard-McLean will start a UK tour of her new comedy show at the Machynlleth Comedy Festival on Saturday 4 May at 8 pm. In the show she will talk openly about her experiences of being a foster carer.

Welsh comedian Kiri has had a busy few years. As well as hosting Live at the Apollo, fronting the Radio 4 panel show Best Medicine and starting a comedy school, she's become a foster parent. Something that not many people know about her. In her latest show she lifts the lid on her experiences of being a foster carer and shares many laughs about it along the way.  

Kiri has given the Foster Wales Powys team the opportunity to join her at the Comedy Festival to answer questions about becoming a foster carer. Powys County Council's Foster Wales team will be near the entrance to The Tabernacle at Machynlleth Museum of Modern Art, both before and after the show. 

Powys County Council's Director of Social Services and Wellbeing, Nina Davies says: "We appreciate Kiri inviting our team, including our local foster carers, to attend to share information on becoming a foster carer. If you are at the festival, come along and chat to the team to find out more and ask any questions you may have.

"We need people with a variety of skills, experiences and lifestyles to enable our children to stay close to their communities. There are many different ways you can support a young person and I'd encourage anyone who is thinking of fostering to get in touch."

Alastair Cope, Head of Foster Wales says: "It's fantastic to see our foster carer, Kiri, positively promoting fostering during her UK tour. It will really help increase awareness of foster care, and challenge false perceptions around what it takes to be a foster carer.

"We hope that through Kiri candidly sharing her fostering journey, people will recognise skills and qualities in themselves and consider putting in an enquiry to foster". 

Kiri says: "I'm so delighted to be launching the tour in Machynlleth. The Comedy Festival has been such a huge part of my journey as a comedian, and it'll be lovely to share this next part of my journey as a human too. I'm blown away I've been able to add an extra show after the huge Mach arena sold out, so I know I'm kicking off the tour with a bang in Machynlleth."

If you are interested in becoming a foster carer in Powys but you can't get to the event, you can find out more online www.powys.fosterwales.gov.wales or call 0800 223 0627.