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Southampton Young Carers Project provides a service for children and young people aged between 8 – 18yrs whose lives are affected by caring for an unwell or disabled family member. The person they care for may have a physical or learning disability, mental ill health, chronic illness or have difficulties with drug/alcohol use.
Research has shown that this caring role can impact on a young person’s social, developmental, emotional, educational and physical well being.
After being referred to our project a young carer can expect the following from the project:
• Information and guidance
• A break away from home and their caring responsibilities
• A chance to meet other young carers and make new friends
• Fun, laughs and new opportunities
• To be listened to and have a voice
• To be provided with a range of support
Quotes from young carers on the Project:
“I think that the Young Carers Project has definitely made a difference because I am a lot happier with life knowing that I have someone to turn to when things get tough.” Young Carer age 15
“Before I joined the Southampton Young Carers project I had to store a lot in my head and my teachers didn’t know about my mum, now I get help at school with coping with things.” Young Carer, age 13
“Life was really difficult before I got support from the Young Carers Project. I thought I was alone and I had no help. But now I feel relieved, it is easier to cope.” Young Carer, age 14
When a young carer joins the Project they are allocated a project worker who provides them with an initial home visit which includes: an assessment of their caring role, action planning, one to one support, and sign posting to other agencies, if appropriate.
In addition to this a young carer may also be offered:
• Evening youth groups
• School support for secondary school aged young people
• Day trips, activities, residential and workshops
• Befriending
The project now has a page on Localgiving.com. This is a website dedicated to supporting local charities. You can now donate to the Southampton Young Carers Project which will help make a difference to the lives of young carers as well as their families by improving their opportunities to access services, education and fun activities. Check out our page at www.localgiving.com/southamptonyoungcarersproject
Grow Your Tenner
Click here to donate to Southampton Young Carers Project:
Localgiving have also just launched an exciting new campaign called Grow your tenner which means that localgiving will match the first £10 of any donation made, so if you give £10, the project receives £20! You can also sign up to give regularly with localgiving. Thanks so much for your support!
Some useful links:
NHS young carers website:
www.nhs.uk
Southampton Children and Young people’s trust:
www.youngsouthampton.org
The Children’s Society Young Carers Include Project:
www.youngcarer.com
YMCA-young carers’ festival:
www.ymca-fg.org
General health and hospital information for young people:
www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk
Local child bereavement service- Simon Says:
www.simonsays.org.uk
