I’m a young carer – what help is out there?

You are a young carer if you are aged 5-18 and help look after somebody in your family who has a disability, illness, mental health difficulty, or someone who misuses drugs or alcohol.

Lots of young carers say they worry about the person they care for when they aren’t with them and feel they need to check they are okay. We are here to help.

One to one support

Our Family Support Workers and Young Carers Practitioners work with young carers and their families to provide practical and emotional support.
Caring should not stop young people from getting on with their lives and living to their maximum potential. This means making sure they are able to look after their physical and mental wellbeing and access opportunities in education that are of the same quality as their peers who do not have caring responsibilities.

The fun stuff

At North Tyneside Carers’ Centre we put on a range of activities and breaks for young people and they make such a difference to their lives. Not only do they build confidence, they are learning a new skill and making new friends.
One of our young carers, Jack, had never experienced leaving his local area. With money donated, our centre was able to provide Jack with a two day residential trip which massively boosted his confidence and gave him time away with friends.

Also, our young carers are also eligible for some amazing deals to help make their lives just a little bit easier.

For example, young carers can get access to a free ease INTO card for themselves and a friend. There are different programmes for the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays with activities such as trampolining, swimming, cooking classes and sport.

The ease INTO card also gives young carers and another person free access to Contours Leisure Centre, including gym and swimming pool access. They can add local library membership to support learning and a quiet, safe place. For more information click here.

We can also refer people to the Wave Project which helps provide therapeutic support through surfing.

I would also like to say a big thank you to Vodaphone for donating SIM cards for young carers to allow them access to online learning. Without their support, many of the families we work with struggle to access training or talk to family and friends due to financial challenges. We have already helped a family with SIM cards,allowing a young person the freedom and reassurance that she can keep in touch with her parent and the person she cares for when attending our groups and events. She has also been able to access online learning and can submit homework online rather than doing this in her lunchtime.

If you are a young carer and you would like to know more, see our young carer pages