Young Carers Zone

Aim

To create a comfortable and welcoming space for young carers to take some time away from their responsibilities and just be children.

 Our vision

 We want to create a place where young carers and young adult carers can take some time away from their caring role, meet with other carers and just be children again. We are hoping to take an unused part of the Vassall Centre and turn it into a comfortable, appealing space for young carers. This space is currently in a very poor condition and needs complete renovation.

We have been fundraising to begin work on the refurbishments but we are £8,000 short and we need your help.

 Young Carers Zone

 The young carers zone will be a comfortable and appealing space. It will include a chill out area for playing games, getting stuck into messy arts stuff and music making. This space will include an outside area, which could be used for playing games, a barbecue area and gardening. A second room will provide a quiet area equipped with IT for study and job search activities, which is often very difficult in the family home.

 We are going to have to undertake considerable renovation work to include electrics, windows, heating, flooring, sound proofing and ceilings. And we’re also going to need help in kitting out the space with games, comfy furniture, screens and computer equipment. 

Who are young carers?

 The young carers we support can be as young as 8 years old. They take on responsibilities normally only expected of an adult: helping with shopping, cooking, household chores, looking after younger brothers and sisters, administering medicine, and giving emotional support.

 Being a carer has a huge impact on a child's life. They miss lessons at school and struggle to keep up with school work. They miss out on time to play, see friends and leisure activities and can feel isolated and lonely; and they are often vulnerable to bullying. These children frequently suffer problems with their own physical and mental health: with injuries from heavy lifting, lack of sleep and poor nutrition; and they often struggle with anxiety, lack of confidence and low self esteem. These children can simply miss out on their childhood.

 About Carers Support Centre

 Carers Support Centre is a registered charity set up in 1997. It improves the quality of life of children and adult carers in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. In the last year we supported over 160 young carers and their families. Our services include a telephone information line, one-to-one support and family support. We also run groups and activities and help young carers have a break. For further information about the work we do, and to watch a short clip of a DVD the young carers produced, please visit our website:

http://www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk/young-carers/

We are doing everything we can to support young carers in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, but we can’t do it on our own. Please help us create this special space for young carers to have some time to just be kids.

Thank you to Lure Away Productions for producing our young carers zone film.

This project closed unsuccessfully on 4th July 2014