From Left: Mark Russell - CEO of The Children's Society, Jessica Burgess - Communications officer at CareTech Foundation, Ariful Islam - Partnerships Manager at CareTech Foundation, Tariq Raja - Executive Director at CareTech Foundation, Joe Jenkins - Executive Director of Social Impact at The Children's Society.
Three leading organisations are joining forces to give remarkable young people a summer festival to remember.
Every summer around 1,000 11- to 17-year-olds from across the country, who care for loved ones, get together for a weekend of music, food, and fun.
For the 25th Young Carers Festival the organisers – The Children’s Society and YMCA Fairthorne Group – have partnered with the CareTech Foundation which will sponsor the event for the next three years to give young carers their most enjoyable experience yet.
The agreement saw the festival, already thought to be the largest gathering of young carers in the world, return bigger and better on the weekend of 27 – 29 June, by providing travel grants so that more young people can attend the festival.
The deal will also fund extra activities such as DJs and creative workshops, and it will pay for the creation of online materials to support young carers after the festival, including career guidance, mental health resources, and peer support.
Alongside the additional money, the CareTech Foundation aims to amplify this fantastic event, raise awareness of the vital role young carers play, and celebrate their many skills and attributes.
In looking after family members or friends who have a disability, illness, a mental health condition, or challenges with drugs or alcohol, young carers are forced to grow up quickly.
And while many of these children are incredibly proud of what they do, and value the closeness it gives them with their loved ones, taking on caring responsibilities can be hugely challenging. Our research shows that young carers often feel stressed and anxious as they struggle to balance caring responsibilities with academic work and a social life.
Being pulled in several different directions can limit their opportunities to thrive in childhood and jeopardise their prospects as adults. The Young Carers Festival, allows these incredible children an opportunity to make friends, talk about their experiences and take a break from their caring responsibilities for a weekend of fun.
Tariq Raja, Executive Director of The CareTech Foundation said: “We know that young carers are simply amazing.
“At the CareTech Foundation we want to lead the way in recognising the importance of young carers in our society and the exceptional work they do.
“We hope that our investment will not only further enhance the already wonderful Young Carers Festival but also improve the position of young carers in their communities. We hope we can also encourage a wide and diverse range of organisations to join us in championing young carers and offering them support in any way they can.”
Lisa Jakimciw, Director of Income Strategy for The Children’s Society, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating our 25th anniversary with the support of the CareTech Foundation.
“The funding has enabled us to remove the barrier of travel costs for some young carers who otherwise would not have been able to attend, as well giving festivalgoers more great activities throughout the weekend.
“We really hope this partnership will help shine a spotlight on young carers and their experiences so everyone can recognise them for the remarkable people they are.”
