Scottish Young Carers Festival

“Delighted I am getting a holiday coz we don’t get holidays ever.”

The 15^th Scottish Young Carers Festival 2022 will be held on 2– 4 August in Fife

The Scottish Young Carers Festival gives approximately 500 young carers a much-needed break from their caring responsibilities. Young carers (12-17) provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

Young carers quotes about their experiences of the Festival:

“Gives me a break and meeting folk that go through the same thing as me.”

“The festival is overall amazing as it gave me the chance to branch out and meet new people”

“Takes my mind off things and makes me feel like a normal teen.”

The Festival, a national celebration of young carers hosted by Carers Trust Scotland, gives this special group the chance to share dozens of new activities, from a wide range of music, to magic and mindfulness, with other young people in similar situations.

Following two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Young Carers Festival 2022 is returning to its usual format, being hosted in-person in Fife. This year will also include online activities to welcome those unable to attend in person.

The Festival also gives young carers the opportunity to share their experiences, to discuss how caring impacts them, and to have their voices heard about the changes that would make their lives better. Carers Trust Scotland will be hosting a ‘Young Carer Consultation Zone’ providing young carers the opportunity to discuss important issues and speak directly to key decision makers.

Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Kevin Stewart MSP said: “Young carers make a vitally important contribution to our society. However, I know that, because of their responsibilities, they haven’t got the same amount of free time and opportunities as their peers. That’s why it is great to see the Festival taking place in person again this year.

“I and the Cabinet Secretary for Education are looking forward to meeting young carers at the Festival. I hope they enjoy the break and spending time with young carers from other areas. For those that won’t be able to attend in person I know that there will also be online activities.

“This year we have seen increased investment in short breaks for carers of all ages, put forward legislation to give carers a right to breaks and expanded the Young Scot package of discounts and benefits for young carers.

“I hope that all this and our continued commitment to support and fund the Festival as well as the development of a National Carers Strategy during 2022 is clear sign of our continued support to young carers going forward.”

Earlier this year, Carers Trust conducted a Young Carer Survey which highlighted the need for respite amongst young carers and young adult carers. 31% of young carers and young adult carers who responded in Scotland, feel they ‘never’ or ‘not often’ get enough rest or get enough time to themselves.

Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than half (54%) of the young carers and young adult carers who responded to our survey said that the amount of time they spend caring had increased in the last year.

52% of young carers and young adult carers who responded in Scotland feel less connected to others, and more than a fifth (22%) feel they are unable to take a break from caring.

These statistics demonstrate the need for an event such as the Scottish Young Carers Festival which is an experience that young carers look forward to each year and offers an opportunity for respite, to connect with others and to have fun.

Louise Morgan, Director for Scotland & Northern Ireland at Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to host the fifteenth Scottish Young Carers Festival, which is particularly important in 2022 as it offers young carers support and respite from their caring role after what has been a stressful past few years for many young carers.

“The Festival crucially provides a national platform to promote understanding of what young carers do; it raises awareness of young carers’ rights, and is an excellent opportunity for young carers to have fun, feel recognised, valued and heard.”

A virtual Festival for Scottish young carers

The Scottish Young Carers Festival will sadly not go ahead in its usual format in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2021 would have been the Festival’s 14^th year, providing young carers with a much needed break from their caring responsibilities. Young carers provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

The Festival provided the opportunity for young carers to meet other young people in similar situations, share new experiences and of course, have fun! The event also provided a national celebration for young carers to share their experiences, the impact that caring has on them and to suggest changes that could make their lives better.

Carers Trust Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working with young carers and their services to continue the delivery of an online Festival, and have responded to young carers’ feedback from last year to make this year’s Festival the best it can be!

Scottish Government funding is providing over £100,000 for Carers Trust Scotland to administer a small-grant scheme to eligible young carer services. These services will be able to apply for funding to provide fun and respite to the young carers they support. The outcomes of this scheme are broad to ensure that services can take a local, tailor-made approach in supporting their young people and provide meaningful respite in a safe way.

Furthermore, Carers Trust Scotland will bring the fun to young people through our online Festival activity! On Tuesday 3 August, the Scottish Young Carers Festival 2021 webpage will launch, where young carers can access over 40 pre-recorded workshops.

These will cover a whole range of topics including Just Fun, Life Skills and Self-Care, at the request of young carers. There will be the opportunity for young carers to take part in dozens of activities including; mindfulness, magic, comedy, arts and crafts, and learning a language!

The Festival also provides young carers with an opportunity to have their voices heard. On Wednesday 4 August, Carers Trust Scotland will be hosting a “Young Carer Voice: Consultation Event” providing young carers the opportunity to discuss important issues and speak directly to key decision makers.

The event will include interactive consultation workshops, followed by a Q&A panel.

This year’s alternative Scottish Young Carers Festival takes place during a time which remains relatively challenging for unpaid carers.

Recent research undertaken by Carers Trust Scotland highlights the experiences and challenges that the pandemic has created for unpaid carers, and consequently, carer support workers and carer services.

Many unpaid carers found that they were spending more time caring, with less opportunity to get a break. Many felt the needs of the person(s) they care for had intensified, and found their responsibilities increasing as a result of other services being paused or closed. This impacted on unpaid carers’ mental and physical health.

These results highlight the need for continued support to young carers and the opportunity for meaningful respite and engagement opportunities throughout the year. Despite the cancellation of our Scottish Young Carers Festival, our small-grant scheme and online activities aim to provide fun and respite to these young people in alternative, safe ways.

Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care, Kevin Stewart MSP, said: “We know – because young carers have told us – what a difficult time they have had during the pandemic. I want to thank them again for all they have done and continue to do for their loved ones and for our communities.

“I am looking forward to taking part in the Young Carers Festival consultation event, and hearing directly from young people about their experiences and any help they need.

“We know how important it is for young carers to have a break from the routine and a chance to come together and enjoy themselves. This isn’t easy in the current circumstances, so I am delighted to see the innovative approach that has been taken to this year’s online Festival.

“Alongside the Festival, we have provided £100,000 for local young carer services to run additional fun activities for the young carers they work with.

“The Festival is not just a chance to take a break from caring, it is an opportunity to let us know what we are doing right and what we could be doing better. The Scottish Government will continue to engage directly with young carers, and listen to what they are telling us to ensure that we address their needs.”

Paul Traynor, Head of External Affairs at Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working again with Scottish Government to deliver these new kind of Festival activities for young carers across Scotland for 2021.

“We are delighted to be working again with Scottish Government to deliver these new kind of Festival activities for young carers across Scotland for 2021.

“The pandemic has been difficult for a lot of young carers and many have reported taking on additional caring responsibilities, feeling isolated, and feeling disconnected to their friends and wider communities.

“Although some young carers may be disappointed that the annual Scottish Young Carers Festival can’t take place again in the usual way, the small-grant scheme provides opportunities for local young carer services to plan and deliver activities to ensure young carers still have an opportunity to get a break from caring and have fun.

“The Young Carer Voice consultation event will also give young carers across Scotland a meaningful opportunity to have their voices heard by key decision makers and discuss the issues that matter to them most.”

A new kind of Festival for Scottish young carers

The Scottish Young Carers Festival has sadly been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2020 would have been the Festival’s 13^th year, providing young carers with a much needed break from their caring responsibilities.

Young carers provide unpaid care for a family member or a friend, who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.

Carers Trust Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working with young carers and their services to plan a new kind of Festival this year!

Furthermore, Carers Trust Scotland will bring Festival fun to young people through our first ever virtual Festival, “Best of the Fest!” On Wednesday 5 August to Friday 7 August, there will be the opportunity for young carers to take part in dozens of activities and events including; mindfullness, yoga, magic shows, paint a-longs and live music!

Resources will also be shared on our website for young people to access at any time after the virtual Festival has taken place.

Our traditional marketplace at the Festival, which invites organisations to promote their services and resources to young carers and their services, will also be found online this year! Organisations such as Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament will host live workshops for young carers and youth workers to find out more about the opportunities available.

This year’s alternative Scottish Young Carers Festival takes place during a challenging time for many young carers. A new Carers Trust Scotland survey shows the pandemic’s dramatic impact on the wider wellbeing of young carers in Scotland.

Meaningful respite for these young people is more important than ever, with 42% of young adult carers in Scotland stating they are unable to take a break from caring as a result of Coronavirus.

Furthermore, 69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland who responded to the survey felt less able to stay in touch with friends since coronavirus.74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland also said they are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus.

The results point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care for family members or friends.

Minister for Public Health, Joe FitzPatrick said: “Young carers make a vitally important contribution to our society. Often though, because of their responsibilities, they haven’t got the same amount of free time and opportunities as their peers.

“Although the Festival cannot take place this year, I hope young carers across the country will be able to benefit from the Scottish Government funded small grant scheme which will enable local services to provide them with some much deserved respite and extra support.”

Paul Traynor, Policy and External Affairs Manager of Carers Trust Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be working with Scottish Government to deliver these new kind of Festival activities for young carers across Scotland for 2020.

“Although some young carers may be disappointed that the annual Scottish Young Carers Festival event has been cancelled, the small-grant scheme provides new opportunities for local young carer services to plan and deliver activities to ensure young carers still have an opportunity to get a break from caring and have fun.

“We also hope that our ‘Best of the Fest’ virtual events will provide that Festival feeling that gives young carers the opportunity to be children and young people first.”