The National Emergencies Trust has provided £2,344 of match funding
Save Smart Young Carers
Dover, Kent, United Kingdom
Aim
Be a Smart Superhero and help save our Young Carers project.
Dover Smart Project supports Young Carers and currently we have 150 children who all deserve a childhood.
We are dedicated to providing respite to these young people who are severely disadvantaged by their circumstances.
Can you become a Smart Superhero and join with us in the fight for their childhoods?
The beyond-kind donation of £300 provides a weekly club for a Young Carer for a year. During this time they can enjoy a break from their caring roles, have a meal, take part in an activity and receive vital one to one wellbeing support.
There have been significant funding cuts across the entire charity sector over the past 18 months and Dover Smart Project has been directly affected. The funding for our Young Carers will end in March 2022, leaving at least 150 children without the essential support they need to maintain their mental health and wellbeing.
Let’s be clear about who Young Carers are: Some are aged as young as 5 and undertake relentless roles and tasks that most adults would find challenging. They offer a range of support to family members who will have significant health problems, mental ill health and could be using drugs and alcohol to mask the symptoms of more significant issues.
Everyday these amazing children face worries that would concern most adults. Our staff have heard children say.."where will we live?", "we don't have enough money", "we can't afford to eat", "is it going to be cold?", "will my Mum or Dad be ok?", "what will happen to me and my brother if it all goes wrong?", "I'm really scared", "I'm tired"...
As a charity we support, motivate, encourage and mentor our young carers, building their confidence, teaching them new skills, empowering and preparing them for greater achievements in life. They also have a right to dream big for their future.
Throughout the pandemic, we didn't stop. We continued supporting our Young Carers, delivering Creative Care Packages direct to their doors. We started lockdown with 50 children; we now have 150 and every week more and more children are being referred to us. It is estimated that 1 in 12 children is a Young Carer – think about that statistic for a moment. It demonstrates just how great the need is. We want to be there for every single child who needs us.
The video below shows you the phenomenal impact that funding can have. We can’t continue to make a difference without your help after March next year. Thank you from Dover Smart Project and our Young Carers, who really are the very best of us:
This project successfully funded on 8th March 2022