Young Carers Celebration Event

This evening I called in on the YMCA Swansea Young Carers celebration event. This service provides support and information for young carers aged 8-18 in Swansea. They offer a holistic family approach to support.

Every young carer and their family involved in the service receives an in-depth assessment of needs which helps inform an action plan of support that intends to build resilience towards being a young carer. This includes an assessment of needs, information, support, advocacy and signposting.

A Young Carer is anyone under the age of 18 who is caring or is affected by caring, for a family member with mental health issues, physical disability, long term illness or alcohol and substance misuse issue.

It was a lovely evening featuring some remarkable young people, who have effectively put their life on hold to care for a parent, sibling or relative. The young carers service allows them to gather together every Wednesday evening and mix with their peers.

It is an excellent service, which benefitted from being one of the Lord Mayor's charities last year, but which has about 150 carers on their books and could do with even more funding.