Young Carer Clubs in Essex
Are you aged 8–16 and look after someone in your family? You’re not alone!
Being a young carer can sometimes mean missing out on things other children take for granted. You might help look after a parent, brother, sister or another family member who has an illness, disability, mental health condition or needs extra support.
Our Young Carer Clubs in Essex give you the chance to take a break from caring, have fun and spend time with other young people who understand what life can be like.
What happens at Young Carer Clubs?
Our clubs are friendly, welcoming and safe places where you can:
– Take a break from your caring responsibilities.
– Have fun and try new activities.
– Meet other young carers who understand your situation.
– Make new friends and spend time together.
– Talk to a trusted adult if you need someone to listen.
There’s no pressure to talk about your caring role. You can simply come along, join in and enjoy yourself!
Fun activities and days out
There’s always something to look forward to! Activities include:
– Indoor and outdoor games
Cooking sessions.
– Arts and crafts.
– Pool, table tennis and computer games (at selected clubs).
During the school holidays, we also organise special events and trips. These have included sports days, visits to the zoo, bowling, outdoor adventure activities and trips to the cinema.
Where are our Young Carer Clubs?
We run Young Carer Clubs on weekday evenings at youth centres across Essex, including:
Chelmsford
Colchester
Harlow
Harwich
Maldon
Loughton
Stansted
Witham
“Pockets of childhood that allowed me to feel like a child again for a few hours every week”
Could you be a Young Carer?
You might not think of yourself as a young carer. Perhaps you help a family member with everyday tasks, keep them company, help them get dressed, prepare meals or look after brothers and sisters while someone else needs support.
If someone in your family relies on you for help, you could be a young carer.
You don’t have to manage everything on your own. Action for Family Carers is here to help.
Get in touch to find out more about our Young Carer Clubs and the support available to you.
Our Team
Each Club is led by an experienced Club Lead Worker, supported by a Club Night Assistant and dedicated volunteers. All staff and volunteers are DBS checked and fully trained. But most importantly they are friendly, fun and they are there because they want to support you.
The difference our clubs make
Our latest Young Carers survey shows that the children we support:
They also report improved self-confidence and self-esteem and feelings of positivity.
Your Voice Matters
We believe young carers should have a say in the support and activities they receive.
We listen to what young carers think, what matters to them and what they would like to see. Their ideas, feedback and suggestions help us shape our clubs, activities and services, making sure they are fun, relevant and meet the needs of the young people who attend.
We want every young carer to feel listened to, valued and involved. After all, who better to tell us what young carers need than young carers themselves?
How do I join?
Click here to complete our Online referral form and one of our team will get back to you as soon as they can. Alternatively, email yc@affc.org.uk.
Find your nearest club
If you’re aged 8 – 16 and help look after someone in your family, our Young Carer Clubs could be for you.
They’re friendly places where you can take a break from caring, enjoy activities, make friends and meet other young people in a similar situation. There’s always someone to talk to if you need support.