CARING
Team players
Young carer Ali Umar
at Brentford FC
Too often, young carers can feel
socially isolated and invisible. A
local project, run through a football
club, is seeking to change that.
A
lthough it is hard to
believe, there are
700,000 young carers
living in the UK, looking
after other members of their family.
Ealing Young Carers gives carers
between eight and 18 years old
somewhere to socialise, learn new
skills and gain in confidence – and,
for the older ones, even work
towards building a career.
The project is commissioned by
Ealing Council and run by Brentford
Football Club’s Community Sports Trust.
The Championship club’s specialist
team offers one-to-one mentoring and
a wide range of activities, including:
After-school homework clubs;
lunchtime clubs; fortnightly youth
clubs; fortnightly swimming clubs;
and holiday and day trips.
Employment and education
opportunities are made available too,
including work experience placements
and visits to businesses – and also
advice on CV writing and the whole
job search process.
‘YOUNG CARERS OFTEN MISS OUT’
Lee Doyle, chief executive of
Brentford FC Community Sports
Trust, said: “Since Ealing Council
commissioned the trust to run the
project, participation has gone from
25 young carers
to nearly 200.
Because of their caring
commitments, young carers can
often miss out on social opportunities
that other young people take for
granted. Through Ealing Young Carers,
we are providing much-needed respite
and support.”
Young carers also receive practical
and emotional support from the
project’s co-ordinator – Kathryn
Sobczak. A former young carer herself,
she offers vital advice and mentoring
to young carers who are struggling.
She said: “We provide lots of different
sessions for these young carers so that
they can have a break from being a
carer. They get to meet other young
carers, gain confidence and become
less isolated. We find that many young
carers do not get to leave the house to
get to meet other young people, so this
gives them that opportunity.”
‘IT GIVES ME A BOOST’
One of the current young carers is
Ali Umar from Southall, who has been
attending since he was 12. He has
since become a volunteer with the
project as well.
Ali, now turned 19, said: “It gives
me an opportunity to learn about CVs,
jobs, interviews, and how to present
myself. It gives me a boost.
“My family think what I have
been doing with young carers is a
great way to express myself despite
whatever I am going through, be it
psychologically, emotionally, physically.
My family know that I am safe and can
learn a lot.”
Find out more and watch a video
at ealingnewsextra.co.uk/
features/young-carers
around ealing June 2018
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