It’s that time of year again! Young Carers Action Day (YCAD), run by Carers Trust, is on 16 March 2022 and this year the theme is ‘Taking Action on Isolation’.
This is a subject that is close to our hearts as we believe in making every young carer feel like they are not alone in their caring role. YCAD is a National Day of Awareness held each year in the hope of raising awareness of the issues faced by young carers. In this blog, we hope to help you to take action on isolation and think of ways to help other young carers to feel less isolated too.
So how can you take action on isolation for young carers?
Start the conversation
By speaking out about your role as a young carer, this can help others as well as you. Not only will you have access to further support from your school/college, local young carer organisation and local council, but you will be helping other young carers around you to feel more confident in speaking out. Phoebe, one of the young carers we spoke to ahead of YCAD this year, told us that young carers should “talk to friends who listen and talk to someone you trust at your school”. If more young carers are aware of their caring role, this will help to tackle the isolation and loneliness that many young carers experience by helping them to feel less alone.
Share something positive that has happened to you
When we celebrate and pay attention to the positive things that young carers experience, this will help to encourage others to do the same. For example, by sharing a positive experience you had with your doctor as a young carer, this might help other doctors to act in a similar way. Carers Trust created this example that you could recreate:
Share your positive experiences with us on social media or email us at admin@carersupportdorset.co.uk.
How have we taken action on isolation for young carers?
We have created a video to help to raise awareness of young carers everywhere. We hope that by spreading this far and wide, more young carers will be able to identify themselves as well as be supported by their school/college and other organisations. This, in turn, will help to combat loneliness an isolation in young carers. You can also find this video on our social media!
As always, we are here for you to support you in your caring role. Call us on 0800 368 8349 or email us. We offer information, advice and guidance and can signpost you to places for extra support too.
