Gloucestershire Young Carers

Children and Young People Now: Youth Volunteering and Social Action Award

The Mosquito Mission – our charity’s pioneering work in training professionals to understand the impact of substance misuse on young people – was recognised at a prestigious event in London this week.

Gloucestershire Young Carers’ Mosquito Mission team, which comprises young carers who have themselves been affected by problematic substance misuse in family members, have trained more than 270 substance misuse workers, police officers and student social workers.

The project is funded by the Paul Hamyln Foundation and supports young carers to build their self-confidence so they are able to talk openly to professionals about their experiences. Young carers have learned new skills, achieved personal growth and made progress towards their individual aspirations.

Highly Commended in the awards was:

County Durham Youth Offending Service – With Youth in Mind

Finalists included:

Clarion Futures – Community Ambassador Programme

Endure Mentoring – Project X

Kent County Council – UASC Peer Champions

YC Hertfordshire – The Empathy Project

Young carers involved in today’s Gloucestershire Young Carers’ annual Twilight Briefing conference say the first step to supporting young carers in the community is to identify young carers.

Speaking at the annual conference run by the charity for delegates from health, social care and education, young people from across Gloucestershire said there is still a need for professionals to ask the simple question: “Do you help to care for your family member?”

17 year old Tom said: “The simplest way to start the conversation is to put the question out there: “What do you do for your mum or dad, you may be a young carer”.

The theme of this year’s conference, held at Pavilion in Cheltenham was ‘Perception vs Reality’. More than 100 delegates attended to hear stories and experiences of young people from 12 to 21 and participate in workshops run by the young carers together with charity leads.

Chairpersons for the evening will be Gloucestershire Young Carers Operations Lead Ele Semadeni and young carer Tia Lumakangilu.

Tia, who is 17, has been engaged with the charity for nine years. She said: “After all that time of being a young carer there are still situations where I have to explain what a young carer is and how being a young carer affects me – whether that is to teachers at school or to employers.”

More than 7000 young people in Gloucestershire are believed to be in caring roles for family members experiencing disability, mental ill health, physical illness or substance misuse issues. Gloucestershire Young Carers provides support, working with a raft of partner agencies and organisations. The charity itself reaches around 1000 young carers and many more through its network. Its aim is to reduce the impact of the caring role on the aspirations and achievements of the young people.

We will be running the Touching Souls Tearooms at Tewkesbury Abbey on Saturday December 7^th from 10.00am to 3.30pm.

As usual we will require cakes. If you have made cakes for this tearoom event in the past you will be aware that they like nice, huge cakes and very traditional – Victoria, chocolate, coffee, fruit, muffins, fairy cakes. Any donations of cakes would be most gratefully accepted.

We also need hands on deck on the day – people to serve on counter, make sandwiches, operate our dishwasher and the till. If you would like to volunteer then get in touch. This event can make around £300 which is vital funds for our charity’s work supporting young carers. We suggest popping along for around 2 hours. Thank you.

Please contact Jane Dyer, Fundraising Manager, on: jane@glosyoungcarers.org.uk or 07828016857 to let her know when you can help during the day.