According to The Children’s Society, there are around 800,000 young carers aged under 18 in the UK today. These young carers are looking after a friend or family member who, due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.
The Partnership is committed to helping young carers and supports campaigns like Young Carers Action Day to raise awareness of young carers and the services available across West Yorkshire.
This year’s Young Carers Action Day took place on 16 March 2022. We promoted this special day through a series of resources including a billboard poster, flyers, presentations for education and primary care settings and publicity on social media.
We were privileged to work with Tom and Sara on this campaign. Tom is a 22-year-old from Wakefield who has been a carer for more than 15 years. Sara, who is 20 years old and also from Wakefield, cares for her mum and works full time.
See the photograph of Sara and her mum on the right.
Older young carers like Tom and Sara are also known as ‘young adult carers’ and often have different support needs to younger carers.
Tom and Sara, who are both active members of the Wakefield Young Carers Youth Forum, were instrumental in co-producing the 2022 Young Carers Action Day campaign resources, and for helping us get the message across to young carers and young adult carers that ‘we’re here for you’
This year's campaign focused on taking action on the isolation experienced by young carers and young adult carers, something that Tom and Sara are all too familiar with.
Tom said, “I understand how isolated young carers can feel and that’s exactly why I helped with Young Carers Action Day this year. If you’re an isolated carer, help is available, including young carers apps, websites and local services so please make use of this support and know you’re not alone.”
You’ll find more information about this year’s Young Carers Action Day, along with all Tom and Sara’s resources, on the Young Carers Action Day 2022 web page.
In this photograph, young adult carer Tom is pictured with Fiona Rogers, the Partnership’s Young Carers Project Co-Ordinator, alongside the Young Carers Action Day billboard poster in The Ridings, Wakefield.