Sheffield Carers assemble for Carers Week

Carers Week is nearly here (10th-16^th June 2024) and we’re hosting an event Thursday 13 June with Sheffield Young Carers, Sheffield SGO’s and Sheffield City Trust.

Young people will be able to try their hand at lots of exciting sports and activities, from football to basketball, and rugby to dance. Alongside these amazing activities, young people will be able to explore important topics such as health and wellbeing for carers.

60 young carers in years 1-11 from across the district will come with their schools and meet at Ponds Forge to take part in activities delivered by Sheffield-based providers and will also get the opportunity to have their say in what future events and projects will look like. 

YSF School Games manager Emma Lea said: "The hope is that we will take the learning and share with other districts and areas to inspire more projects like this to take place. 

"The project also has sustainability at the centre and the stakeholders will continue to work together after the event to continue to provide positive experiences for young people who need it the most.

Young carers are young people who have caring responsibilities for family members who have long term physical or mental illnesses, disabilities or substance misuse issues. There are an estimated 7,000 young carers in Sheffield alone, yet many remain unidentified. Without support, life can be very difficult for young carers.

Young carers are seven times as likely to report not being in good health compared to their non-caring peers. On top of this, being a young carer also heavily impacts school and college attendance, with young carers missing on average 27 days per academic year due to their caring role. When it comes to further education, young adult carers are also substantially less likely to achieve a university degree than their peers without a caring role; those who care for 35 or more hours a week are 86% less likely to achieve a degree.

40% of young carers reported in the 2023 All Party Parliamentary Group for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers inquiry into life opportunities for young carers that caring ‘always’ or usually’ affects how much time they can spend with their friends.

This upcoming event is more than just your regular collaborative event. It gives young carers a real opportunity to access sports, talk health and wellbeing, socialise with others who understand what it is like caring for somebody and be a care-free young person, even if only for a couple of hours.

Laura Selby, Co-Chief Executive Officer at Sheffield Young Carers said: "We’re so excited to be working with such amazing partners to put on this brilliant event in Carers Week. If you'd like to celebrate Carers Week, here are five easy actions to help raise awareness and show support for young carers in Sheffield."

• Sign the new Young Carers Covenant and commit your support to young carers and young adult carers. Find out more and sign up here!
• Build your knowledge and skills by signing up to our training on 2^nd July or completing our free e-learning module. 
• Help a young person apply for the £300 SYC Activity Fund (next deadline 14^th June).
• Make a referral to our M-PACT programme for young people and families impacted by parental substance misuse.
• Take on a fundraising challenge or make a donation to help keep our work going. 

If you work outside Sheffield, check out your local young carers service to see if anything is happening for Carers Week near you.