Carers charity in Bedfordshire calls for better support for young carers
Carers in Bedfordshire say that young carers need more long-lasting recognition
Last updated 18th Jul 2023
A Bedfordshire carers charity is calling for better recognition of the work young carers do and proper funding for support services.
More than eight out of ten young carers (82%) feel lonely during the summer holidays, according to new research released today by Action for Children and Carers Trust.
The survey of young carers aged 11-18 also revealed that the vast majority (86%) feel more stressed or worried during the summer holidays.
Janice Styles, Young Carer Lead at Carers in Bedfordshire, tells us that this happens because, without school, young carers do not get a break from caring.
She said: “Young carers are at home caring for family members, so, for a lot of them, going to school is their time to get away from the responsibility, where they can just be a child again.
“So, for the six weeks of summer holidays, they are caring the entire time. There's no break for them.”
Janice adds that young carers do not have the same opportunities as their peers during the summer break because most of them live in a home with a lower income.
The survey also found that over a quarter (26%) of young carers will spend more than 10 hours on a typical day over summer caring for family members – the equivalent of losing half of their holidays.
Janice says that proper funding should be given to young carers so that they can have a break from caring responsibilities and enjoy their summer.
She said: “These children have the right to have a fun summer holiday as much as their peers, they shouldn't have to not be able to be a child just because they're young carers.
“No child should not have a childhood. So, we try very hard to give those children back their childhood, even if it's just for a couple of hours, just to give them something to look forward to and to remember.”
Janice added that Carers in Bedfordshire tries hard to keep all their activities going during the summer holidays.
The charity has events every week for carers aged 4-17, a support network that they can contact from their phone, Teams or Zoom, and a well-being practitioners’ team who do sessions to boost and support young carers.
Janice urges people to donate to their charity so that they can continue delivering these summer activities.
She said: “All these activities are funded through donations and fundraising. People have been very generous and have allowed us to provide these events for the young carers. Without donations or fundraising, we wouldn't have anything to offer them.”