Young adult carers in Bradford district receive grants to help with their education, independence and future plans
The £200 grants, which aimed to address barriers faced by young carers, were spent on IT or other equipment for college, driving lessons, training courses, life coaching or subject tuition.
Gabby Hands, 16, from Keighley, said: “I am going to put my grant money towards college equipment such as stationery and software I will need for my course.
“The grant will allow me to work easily from home and in college without having to stress about the expense of the equipment.”
Josh Deacon, 17, from Bradford, said:
It has benefited me because we aren't the richest family and it has helped me to do my work using the laptop the fund has helped me buy.
Another young carer, Holly, who cares for her mum who has osteoarthritis, used the money to buy a body protector for her studies of equine management at college.
Holly said: “This means that I will be able to do level 2 and 3 work on my course. I can go hacking, jumping and do pole work, which I would have had to wait until next year to do if I had not got the grant.
“I want to say a huge thank you to the Young Carers team for helping me. I am so grateful to have the body protector and can’t thank everyone enough for all they have done for me to make my transition into college a pleasant experience!”
Another young carer, Steven, said: “I'm planning on using the grant money to go towards the cost of my driving lessons. This would be very beneficial as I can give further support to my mum and allow me to do food shopping, run errands etc.”
Helen Prince, Head of Development for Young Carers and Families at Carers’ Resource, said: “Young carers have a lot of extra responsibilities and often face challenges in finding the time and funds for their education and training.
“These grants can make a huge difference to young carers and enable them to better reach their potential.”
Carers Trust and The Quilter Foundation have collaborated since 2018, focusing on helping young carers overcome obstacles as they transition into adulthood. A total of 208 young carers have received individual grants so far.
Carers’ Resource is a local charity supporting 16,000 unpaid carers in Bradford district, and the Harrogate and Skipton areas, through one-to-one support, casework, information, support groups, employment and training advice, planning for emergencies, and maintaining wellbeing. The charity celebrated 25 years of support in 2020.
Click here for more information about Carers Trust Quilter Aspirations Fund
Meanwhile, young carers - working with West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership - have developed a young carers cookbook aimed at highlighting the incredible work they do alongside support available to them across the area.
Across West Yorkshire, more than 1,500 young carers are registered with services which support them with everyday challenges such as juggling school, friendships, social life and caring for their loved one.
Engagement with young carers highlighted a need for co-produced resources for young carers to support their health and wellbeing, resulting in the launch of the WY HCP Young Carers Support App, and production of the Let’s Eat: Young Carers Cookbook.
