Young Carers put Annette Brooke under the Spotlight

3.36.49pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 20th Apr 2006

Young carers are struggling to balance school work with home responsibilities

Local MP Annette Brooke was interviewed by young carers this week in preparation for the National Young Carers' Festival 2006. Young carers are calling on politicians to work with schools to help young people who struggle to balance caring responsibilities at home with school work.

The young people quizzed Annette, the Lib Dem Spokesperson for Children and Young People, about the level of support for young carers in schools and asked for politicians to work more closely with teachers to help them get the support they need. The young carers were able to meet with the Minister for Children, along with several other MPs.

There are an estimated 175,000 young carers in the UK, with more than two thirds experiencing bullying at school. Research shows that 86 per cent of young carers are of school age and one in five young carers miss school because of the caring they do.1

Annette Brooke said: "It has been an absolute pleasure for me to meet the young carers today and hear their experiences firsthand. It's important that we learn from these experiences so that we can work to ensure they get the support they need in their caring responsibilities. Young carers make incredible sacrifices to care for family, friends and loved ones, so we must ensure they are not disadvantaged at school for doing so."

Ian from Cornwall, aged 15, who helps to care for his mother said: "It's really important that we get the chance to let people know what it's like being a young carer. As young people spend most of their time at school, teachers need to be aware of the additional support young carers might need. We want to do well at school, but sometimes our caring responsibilities take over."

The children recorded their interviews with MPs for the young carers' radio station Express FM, which will be broadcast at this year's Young Carers' Festival: Learn To Care, Care To Learn, 30 June - 1July 2006.

Jenny Frank, Programme Manager at The Children's Society said: "We welcome the fact that the Minister and MPs have given up their time to listen to young carers.

"Young carers make enormous efforts to keep up with their school work, but some may struggle to cope all the time. That's why this event was so important as it gave young carers the chance to have their say."

ENDS

Source: University of Loughborough (1998)

Media enquiries: Anil Ranchod, Press Officer,

The Children's Society: T 020 7841 3471

anil.ranchod@childrenssociety.org.uk

Notes to editors:

Organised by The Children's Society and the YMCA, the national Young Carers Festival gives children from across the UK the chance to meet friends, have fun and escape their responsibilities at home. A range of activities at the festival includes canoeing, abseiling, a football tournament and a 'chill-out' zone. Attending this year's festival will be Al Aynsley Green, The Children's Commissioner who will be interviewed live by the young people.

The Children's Society is a national children's charity working with over 50,000 children and teenagers every year, in 90 towns and cities. It works in partnership with communities, schools and families. It helps: children at risk on the streets; children in trouble with the law; young refugees; children with disabilities. The National Young Carers Initiative offers advice and information on policy and practice across England. It is part funded by the Department of Education and Skills.

YMCA Fairthorne Manor, near Southampton, Hampshire, offers residential outdoor adventure and team-building programmes to schools and community groups from across the UK throughout the year. YMCA Fairthorne Manor actively engages with children and young people, providing positive experiences that will assist them into adulthood.

The visit was also supported by The National Children's Bureau (NCB) and clerks of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children (APPGC), which is a group of almost 200 MPs and Peers