Foot Anstey Raise Money For National Adoption Week And Children In Need
Staff at South West lawyers Foot Anstey raised over £1000 for National Adoption Week (6th -10th November) and Children in Need by staff caring for virtual babies.
Over a week period 30 Foot Anstey staff, including members of the Management Board, took home a ‘baby’ for the night and competed in a parenting competition.
The virtual babies provided by the Exeter Primary Care Trust were programmed to cry at any time of the day or night. The only way to stop the crying was to put a key in its back and hold it there for up to 20 mins. It was not possible to delegate the child care as the key was attached to the ‘parent’s’ wrist. Meanwhile the virtual baby’s internal computer recorded its every move and how it was handled.
The money was raised by staff at Foot Anstey betting on who would be the best parent and registering "the fewest incidences of abuse and the least amount of time crying".
The virtual babies had three different settings - easy, normal and cranky and to raise extra money, Staff also bribed the organisers so that the mum or dad took home a cranky baby. Parents with the most votes got the cranky babies, while those with the least will get the easy babies.
Adoptive parents came into the office after their night of child minding saying:
’Virtual baby.... best form of contraception known to woman!!!’
’Never again, well not until next year anyway!’
’Quite an emotional experience’.
’Quite sad to see her go, got quite attached’.
’All in all the experience was not too bad! I think I might have been lucky with my baby though but was still very ready to return it. Only left with some residual guilt that I never got round to naming it!
“This was a great way to support National Adoption Week and Children in Need," said Rachel Cook, solicitor "£500 will be sent to the British Association of Adoption and Fostering who found families for over 400 children last year. In the same period they also took over 6,500 calls from adoptive and foster parents, childcare workers, health and legal workers asking for advice and guidance on adoption and fostering.
“Our donation will help provide copies of their monthly Be My Parent family-finding newspaper sent to prospective adopters.”
