Young Carers Action Day 2024 – Can You Help?
Young Carers Action Day 2024
Wednesday 13th March is Young Carers Action Day – a day to raise awareness of the UK’s young carers, including those living in Wigan and Leigh.
This year’s focus is on ensuring Fair Futures for young carers. Can you help?
Young Carers Action Day is an annual event, organised each year by Carers Trust, with carers organisations across the UK taking part.
It’s a day for raising public awareness of young carers and young adult carers, the pressures and challenges they face, and the incredible contribution they make by caring for their family members and friends.
It is also a day to call for more action to support young and young adult carers and give them the extra bit of help they need to live full and healthy lives.
Carers Trusts’ 2023 Young Carers’ Survey showed ONE in THREE young carers struggle to balance caring with education, this can have a big impact on whether they can get on at school, go to university, or get a job or an apprenticeship.
Caring can massively affect their life opportunities and plans – and changes in policy, practice and investments are needed to give young carers the support and flexibility they need to thrive.
What can we do in Wigan?
We want to help Wigan professionals and the public understand these issues and work with us to minimise them, helping young people get the support they need, achieving Fair Futures for all young carers in Wigan.
We can help by providing information, support, resources and training to help you do more – whether you are a school, college or employer.
Families and young carers can contact us direct to make a referral or a professional on your behalf.
Young Carers Covenant
To mark Young Carers Action Day 2024, join young carers, young adult carers and Carers Trust as they launch the first ever Young Carers Covenant – a UK-wide commitment to young carers and young adult carers. The Covenant sets out what carer organisations want to see for every young carer and young adult carer. It has been put together following engagement with over 500 young carers and young adult carers and provides a framework for local and national action.
Sign the Young Carers Covenant here
Can you help to contact your local MP and / or Councillor?
You can help by contacting your local Councillor or MP.
You can download a letter template here: Today is Young Carers Action Day
You can find your local Councillor here: https://democracy.wigan.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx?a=1
Edit the attached template with your details and email or post this to your local Councillor or MP.
Let’s spread the word to our local and national decision-makers to encourage them to take action on and around YCAD.