Southampton shows its support for young carers this Young Carers Action Day
Young Carers Action Day takes place on Wednesday 16 March to raise awareness of young carers and the challenges they face and is an opportunity to raise awareness of the support available for our young carers in Southampton
Southampton City Council and health partners across the city are teaming up with No Limits, our partner who supports young carers, to host a range of activities and pledge our commitment to making sure our young carers access the help and guidance No Limits can offer. A young carer is a child or young person who cares for a person who may have a physical or learning disability, mental ill health, chronic illness or have difficulties with drug and or alcohol use. A child or young person faces many challenges when growing up, and for those who are also carers this can put extra stress and anxiety on top of an already difficult time.
The 2022 theme for Young Carers Action Day is ‘Taking Action on Isolation’, to help address the isolation carers can experience as young and young adult carers. Local charity, No Limits, hosted a drama workshop for young carers, with Theatre for Life, in the run up to the Action Day focusing on the theme. A video of the event will be shared across social media on the day. No Limits run weekly group sessions and activities for young carers aged 8-18 within the city, providing the right advice and support for each young person. The theme will run through the charity’s activities during the week including at its school health and wellbeing drop-ins, which run regularly across Southampton during term time, and at its Advice Centre which is open six days a week in the city centre.
Southampton City Council and No Limits will be holding a young carers event at the MAST theatre with lots of fun activities for young carers to take part in, including a drumming workshop and silent disco. Young carers will also have an opportunity to say what actions should be included within the Young Carers Strategy 2021-26 and what they would like to prioritise for 2022-23.
Elsewhere in the city, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust will be publishing their report for the ‘Mind the Gap: Young Carers Engagement at Southern Health project’. The General Hospital will be raising awareness of young carers across their social media channels, and encouraging staff and patients to identify young carers within their family or friends family. While Solent NHS have been encouraging young people to take part in a drawing competition, giving children and young people an opportunity to express themselves and engage with what being a young carer means. Winners will be announced on Young Carers Action Day with each receiving a £25 voucher.
All city partners are encouraging anyone that is a young carer or knows, works with or supports a young carer to get involved in the conversation on social media, by sharing stories, advice and words of support by using the hashtag #YoungCarersActionDay.
Councillor Peter Baillie, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care at Southampton City Council said:
“Being a young carer can be extremely challenging, so we are committed to ensuring there is an abundance of help and support available for our young carers. No Limits provide support through different activities and drop-in sessions and raising awareness in our schools and colleges to make sure no young carer goes unsupported.
“This Young Carers Action Day and the theme of combatting isolation encourages us all to think about how we can continue to ensure we can provide support and ensure no young carer feels isolated and alone in our city. I’m looking forward to seeing the buzz of positive stories, inspiration and messages of support across the city’s social media channels throughout the week.”
Councillor Ivan White, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care at Southampton City Council said:
“The support our amazing young carers provide across the city is absolutely invaluable. It is really important that we highlight the support available to them and identify any young people that are caring for someone else, to ensure they aren’t left isolated and are able to access the help and support they need for themselves.”
If you are under 18 and care for someone, or if you think you know someone that could be a young carer then contact No Limits for help and support. You can contact the team on:
Telephone: 02380 224 224
Email: enquiries@nolimitshelp.org.uk
Or visit No Limits - Young Carers in Southampton.
