Category Archives: young carers

Young carers have some fun

Young Swindon carers become firefighters

8:30pm Friday 15th February 2013 in News By Matthew Edwards

YOUNG carers in Swindon have been putting out fires, cutting people out of cars and abseiling down buldings as they see what it is like to be a firefighter.

A group of 20 youngsters, aged from 12 to 16, all members of the Swindon Young Carers’ support group, have spent the week with the Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to experience a basic fire and rescue training course.

Known as Salamander, the programme encourages participants to work as a team, while building up confidence and self-esteem.

There are now more than 5.8 million unpaid carers in England and Wales needing help!

More than one in 10 providing unpaid care

The number of unpaid carers in England and Wales has reached 5.8 million – a rise of 600,000 since 2001, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has said.

Figures from 2011 show that the largest increase was in unpaid carers working for 50 or more hours a week.

Wales had a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care compared with any English region.

In England, the highest percentages of unpaid carers were in the North West, North East and West Midlands.

The ONS study into unpaid care in England and Wales, 2011 found that more than 12% of the population in Wales provided some level of care in 2011.

A card to show someone cares

Wednesday 6 February 2013

It’s a grown-up job for some of our youngest people.

Published on Wednesday 6 February 2013 08:00

 

Being a young carer to a parent or relative is a role that is not chosen but is one that is accepted and valued by those who many of us would still class as children.

In their position as carer, their job is something that many more fortunate youngsters could not even comprehend, little alone do.

That’s why a new scheme was launched this week to make sure young carers enjoy more of the rights they deserve to continue with their vital role as well as live one of the most exciting and promising stages of their lives.

It all started a few years ago.

During the Young Carers Festival in 2010, carers were asked about the problems they faced in their role and what could be done about them.