MYTime Young Carers’ Charity has received £26,500 of National Lottery Funding which has ensured that new online services, born in lockdown, are able to continue.
Executive Director, Krista Sharp said, “We are absolutely delighted to receive this financial support from the National Lottery. During lockdown, we worked extremely hard to continue providing support to young carers across Dorset. We created a brand new online provision, the MYTime Youth Group, which enables young carers to come together on a weekly basis, allowing them to spend time with one another and to take a break from their caring responsibilities. There has never been a service like this previously because of the enormous distances young carers from Dorset would have had to travel to attend.
“The funding will mean that our online MYTime Youth Group can continue. The Carers Trust conducted a survey of young carers across the UK about the impact of Covid, 69% reported feeling less connected and 66% feeling more stressed. The MYTime Youth Group has enabled them to spend time with other young carers, take part in a huge range of activities from circus skills to creative writing and has enabled them to take a break from their caring responsibilities. All of the young carers involved in this programme have reported feeling less stressed and less lonely as a result of taking part.
“Finally, we have also been able to run several Making Memory Days with the young carers. We have had some brilliant days out over at the Brenscombe Outdoor Centre, seeing our young carers take on some incredible high rope challenges. We have also had groups using our R&R Retreat Centre, enjoying some valuable down time and having the chance to hang out with one another.”
About MYTime Young Carers
MYTime Young Carers seeks to provide young carers between the age of 5-25 with the support, opportunities and friendship that help to level the playing field.
In the UK, there are an estimated 700,000 young carers, yet only 166,000 are registered as such. This means that the vast majority are facing the challenges of caring for a vulnerable relative, without support from their school or local authority. It also means that the scale and nature of the challenges young carers face are hidden and often misunderstood. It is our aim to help young carers overcome these challenges, and to create a society which is more aware, inclusive and supportive of young carers.