#YoungCarersActionDay is an annual event, organised each year by Carers Trust.
It’s a day for raising public awareness of young carers and young adult carers, the pressures and challenges they face, and the incredible contribution they make by caring for their family members and friends.
It is also a day to call for more action to support young and young adult carers and give them the extra bit of help they need to live full and healthy lives.
#YoungCarersActionDay 2022 is about Taking Action on Isolation.
“89% of carers under 24 years old said they had felt lonely or socially isolated as a result of their caring role.” So it is vital that we ensure local young carers and young carers are visible, supported and connected. Read more about the Carers UK data: https://www.carersuk.org/images/News__campaigns/The_world_Shrinks_Final.pdf
A young carer is...
Someone, under 18, who supports someone who needs help eg. brother, sister, parent/ guardian
A young person that helps someone in their family home who may have a mental health issue, illness or disability (physical or learning) or misuse drugs or alcohol.
A child who gives up personal time to help support their family member.
How are The Junction supporting #YoungCarersActionDay?
Our young carers are taking part in a poster campaign. They have been busy creating and crafting some fabulous posters to raise awareness about young carer issues. Along with a letter explaining about Young Carers Action Day, the young carers plan to ask their teachers to display their posters in school, in the hope that they will help share the message, support the campaign and ‘take action’ on isolation.
We asked the young carers to think about a message they would like to communicate to others:
- How does being a young carer make you feel? (good and bad)
- What could your school do to help you feel less isolated?
- What indicators might help identify that a student might be a young career at home?
- Do you have a positive experience at school? What do they do to support you?
Our young carers then got to work creating their very own posters: cutting sticking, drawing and working together to support each other.
Here is a photo of a powerful creation made by a group of local young carers:
How can you support this call to action for young carers?
- Share Young Carers Action Day activities on your social media.
- Follow, like and share our Facebook posts.
- Get in touch! Contact the Young Carers Service Development Worker to find out more about how you can support your young carers in school: Simone.shaw@thejunctionfoundation.com / 07487 387 787
If you are a young carer/ young adult carer or know a young person with caring responsibilities please contact The Junction Foundation to connect to support:
T: 01642 756000 E: info@thejunctionfoundation.com.
