It was a double celebration for Warren Davis on his birthday this year – he was also named the winner of a competition to design a postcard for care experienced young people.

Warren turned 21 and received a voucher prize to say thank you for creating the winning design.

We will send out the Keeping in Touch cards to care experienced young people.

The front of the card features an image of a bay with the inscription: ‘You are important. You are remembered. You matter.’

Our participation team invited care experienced young people to come up with designs and Warren’s was the winning entry.

He said: “I used AI as a template and chatted my idea through with a friend who’s a designer. He helped to bring my ideas to life. It took me a couple of days to come up with the finished design. I like creative writing too so I put some wording on the post card.”

The postcards, which will be sent out alongside birthday cards, also signpost to the local offer website where there are links to financial and benefits support, housing advice, health and wellbeing tips and education, training and work opportunities.

There are more than 100 care experienced young people in Torbay. They now have their own hub in Paignton, which opened earlier this year.

This provides them with a welcoming social space but also supports them in education, skills, employment and wellbeing.

Councillor Nick Bye, cabinet member for Children’s Services, presented Warren with his voucher. He said: “I was delighted to meet Warren and hear how he was inspired to design this postcard. A postcard is a great way to show young people that we are thinking of them after they have left our care. Who doesn’t like receiving a postcard?

“I’m also pleased that the hub is achieving such success in getting young people who were formerly in the care of Torbay Council into education, employment or training.”

There are also versions of the postcard in Sudanese Arabic, Dari, Somali, Arabic, Kurdish Sorani and Pashto to reflect the care experienced young people in Torbay who speak those languages.

Pictured left to right with Warren's winning design: Michael Hurley  one of the Personal advisors for the care experienced team, Warren Davis, competition winner, and Councillor Nick Bye, Cabinet Member for Children's Services