Children and young adults across Gloucestershire who are providing unpaid care for their family and loved ones will be among 20, rx 000 young adult carers to have their lives transformed by a funding boost from Carers Trust.
Carers Gloucestershire has today been awarded more than £40, cure 000 from Carers Trust, viagra 60mg the UK’s largest charity for unpaid carers, to help young adult carers make life-changing decisions about their future.
Through its ‘Time for Change’ grants programme, Carers Trust is funding projects across the UK, targeting young adult carers aged 14-25 years.
This is often a very difficult and traumatic stage in life. Young adult carers find themselves juggling the demands of looking after a loved one alongside the strain of studying for exams, seeking work, applying for college and trying to find their own path in life.
These new grants will help to transform their lives by providing training, residential trips and one-to-one support sessions about education, health, housing and employment. Project workers will be making sure young adult carers understand their rights and get the steer they need to make choices in life – beyond their demanding caring roles.
In Gloucestershire this programme of work will be carried out in partnership with Gloucestershire Young Carers, who already provide some specialist support to young adult carers in the county.
Latest census data reveals there are 315,000 young adult carers in the UK, but this is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg – many young adult carers remain undetected and unsupported.
Research shows that caring for a family member can have a huge impact on a young adult carer’s health, wellbeing and education. Young adult carers aged between 16 and 18 years are also twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET). Recent census data reveals there are more than 30,000 young adult carers providing a shocking 50 hours, or more, of care each week.
Gloucestershire-based young adult carers, who have been attending the Caring Counts Programme run in partnership with Gloucestershire Young Carers, say: “Caring Counts has shown me that I’m not alone, shown me how to look after myself and has given me more confidence.”
“Caring counts has given me new friends, time away from caring and the opportunity to learn more about caring.”
“I’ve learnt that it’s important to have time to myself, how to take care of myself as well as my family and how to further my career and find jobs.”
Tim Poole, CEO at Carers Gloucestershire said; “This vital funding will help us to support young adult carers in Gloucestershire who feel alienated and unable to have life goals like their friends because of the demands of their caring role. We are thrilled to have received this grant from Carers Trust’s About Time programme and will help young adult carers get much needed career and education advice. With our support, young adult carers will be able to make plans for their future and have the same opportunities as other young people.”
Trisha Thompson, Head of Grants and Funding at Carers Trust said; “Young adult carers are at a crucial stage in their lives – juggling the demands of caring for a loved one at home, while facing the challenges of studying for exams, applying for college or seeking work. These are very stressful times and many young adult carers tell us they feel isolated as they don’t know what choices they have or how to apply for college or a job, whilst juggling the demands of their home life.
“These big decisions can affect the rest of their life and their future chances to work or gain new skills. The Time for Change grants to local organisations centres will enable carers’ services to provide vital support to young adult carers in their areas who are having to make life-changing decisions. We know that support for young adult carers works and has a huge impact not only on the individual, the person they care for but on the cost to the state. Research in 2014 by the NEF Consulting indicated that investing in young adult carer support across the UK could save the state purse £141 million every year, with a saving of £1.77 being made for every £1 invested. In short, investing in young adult carer support improves life chances and does and will save the state money.”
In total, more than £711,000 was awarded in this latest round of funding from Carers Trust’s Time for Change grant programme, funded by The Co-operative Group.
This money was raised by colleagues, customers and members of The Co-operative during its Charity of the Year partnership with Carers Trust in 2013. In total, 20,000 young adult carers’ lives will be transformed through this work, running from 2014 to 2017.