Young Carers
A Young Carer is someone under 18 or is 18 years but still at school, who provides unpaid help and support to a relative, friend or neighbour who due to illness or disability cannot manage to live independently without their help. Some children and young people will have small caring roles, and some will have big caring roles. You might share this caring role with another sibling or an adult carer.
Young Carers Action Day
The purpose of the day is to raise public awareness of the challenges faced by young people because of their caring role, and to campaign for greater support for young carers and their needs.
When Carers Trust set up Young Carers Awareness Day the intention was to make the public much more aware of young carers – who they are, what they do, the very real challenges they face, and why they need support. Young Carers said they want support, not sympathy. Now as well as raising public awareness of young carers and what they do the day also aims to get people to take action to support young carers. From 2021 , the name of the day became known as Young Carers Action Day.
There is support for young people who are carers. Below are some of the support networks you can access:
Kingston Young Carers - Provide support workers, youth clubs and holiday activities plus much more: https://www.kingstonyoungcarers.org.uk/
Childline - Has lots of advice for young carers - https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/home-families/family-relationships/young-carers/
Childrens Society - Find a service near you -
https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/young-people/young-carers
