10-year-old Eastbourne boy who cares for his mum talks about joys of local charity

A 10-year-old Eastbourne boy who cares for his mum, who has fibromyalgia, has talked about his participation with a charity that helps young carers.
Michael is a young carer for his mum. SUS-211003-170122001Michael is a young carer for his mum. SUS-211003-170122001
Michael is a young carer for his mum. SUS-211003-170122001

Local charity Care for the Carers has launched a new service to support young carers in East Sussex.

The young carers service is for five to 17-year-olds living, attending school or caring for someone in the county.

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Michael, 10, said, “I like going to the young carers service as I get to meet others who also care like me.

“It can be a bit lonely being a young carer and seeing other children cheers me up.”

The service enables young carers to connect with one another, and access the support and information they need as well as a range of fun activities to improve their wellbeing.

A young carers club will be starting in April 2021 and the charity already provides holiday activities and a counselling service, called teen talk, for young carers aged 12 years and above.

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CEO of Care for the Carers Jennifer Twist said, “We are delighted to be launching this new service for young carers.

“Some people begin caring at a very young age, and many children often don’t realise that they are young carers.

“Most young carers really want to support the person they care for, but it’s important at a young age that they are not doing all the same things as adult carers.

“If you spend a lot of your time caring for someone it can get in the way of doing well at school or spending time with friends.

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“We want all young carers in East Sussex to know that they are not alone. If you are a young carer, or you know a young carer who would be interested in support from us or joining activities, please get in touch.”

Care for the Carers are also providing support for professionals and practitioners working with children and young people to help identify, refer and help young carers.

Young Adult Carers aged 16 to 25 years can access the charity’s “YAC” service.

To find out more, or to refer a young carer, contact Care for the Carers by emailing [email protected] or calling 07874 853703.

To find out more visit www.cftc.org.uk