16th March 2022 is #YoungCarersAction Day
We're excited to be supporting #YoungCarersActionDay 2022!
The annual event, organised by the Carers Trust, aims to raise awareness of the incredible contribution young carers make to their communities and families. It is an opportunity for all of us to take action and help these children get the support they need to live happy and healthy lives. This year, the day takes place on the 16th March.
Many of the children we support suffer from the detrimental effects of caring from a young age, some are as young as five years old. They are exposed to extreme levels of stress and anxiety, suffer from social isolation and often fall behind in school due to their responsibilities at home. Official studies show that 27% of young carers miss school regularly to tend to their family obligations and one in three suffers from mental health issues due to their heightened roles within the household.
This year’s theme is “Taking Action on Isolation”.
Since the start of the pandemic, thousands of young carers across the UK have been taking on even more responsibilities at home, and many have been living in extreme isolation for many months to protect their vulnerable loves ones.
Putting young carers at the centre of the event makes it even more important for them to choose each year’s theme themselves. When asked for a theme for this year’s event, the children made clear how they want the day to be about securing action to help address the isolation and alienation they experience as young carers, and getting the right support in place.
How is Young Carer’s Action Day celebrated?
Fundraising and campaigning play an instrumental role in supporting Young Carer’s Action Day. Through the power of strong community morale and camaraderie, people all over the UK join in unison to raise awareness of the greater support needed for young carers.
The day attracts widespread participation and public attention, including national media coverage and huge social media engagement with young carers all over the UK sharing images, messages, blogs and art.
Due to the success of a social media campaign in 2019, where the hashtag #careformetoo went viral, the UK Government Ministers have pledged to increase support towards young carers in 2022. As a result, this year is a crucial stepping-stone for young carers across the UK who are urging for a significant and life-changing vote to help provide better support for their families and loved ones.
How you can get involved
To celebrate the event and raise essential funds for our services, we organise a week-long Ride, Glide or Stride event between 14th- 21st March. The event is all about collecting miles within one week by foot or by bike, and can be done on your own or as a group. If you’re interested in participating (no sign-up fees and you set your own fundraising target!) get in touch with our team via events@honeypot.pot.org.
All money will contribute towards our Wrap-Round service, including Respite Breaks and our digital support programme. All our services have been designed to alleviate the social isolation young carers experience and build their confidence by giving them opportunities to take a break from their usual caring routines and bond with other children with a shared experience.
To help spread more awareness of young carers across social media on the 16th March, we are urging all supporters to share one of our tweets or create their own post using the hashtag #YoungCarersActionDay.
We look forward to it and would be delighted if you’d get involved.
You can find more information about the day on the Carers Trust website, including a range of free downloadable resources.