Scotland’s leading social care charity, Quarriers has been awarded a grant of £61,743.10 over 3 years to provide support to isolated young carers living on the remote islands of North Argyll. This grant has generously been provided by the Young Carers Grant programme which is managed by Princess Royal Trust for Carers and funded by Comic Relief. Quarriers North Argyll Carers Centre already provides a lifeline to many carers living on mainland North Argyll. With this grant Quarriers will be able to extend this support to more than 100 young carers and their families estimated to live on islands of North Argyll which include Mull.
No dedicated support has previously been provided to the estimated 106 young carers living on the remote islands of North Argyll, who are amongst the most isolated in the UK. The centre aims to reach out to these young carers by providing a website, establishing a presence in the Islands schools and organising an annual young carers festival and regular social activities. This will provide young carers with much needed support networks, reducing the isolation they face and the opportunity for them and their families to have fun and relax, helping to relieve family tension.
Phil Robinson, Quarriers chief executive, said: “We are delighted that Comic Relief has recognised the work that Quarriers is undertaking with young carers, through the generous grant that’s been awarded.
“These young people who are taking on a caring role and who live in remote areas like the Scottish Islands have an added dimension of difficulty when it comes to accessing the support and services they require. This funding will enable Quarriers to reach some of the most vulnerable children and young people in the country and help them on a successful path to adulthood.”
Alex Fox, head of Young Carers Development at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers said:
“We are very pleased to be funding these successful projects. These high quality services will not only benefit young carers in their areas but will also generate learning which will feed into a tool kit of resources which will be produced by The Trust for the benefit of young carers across the country.”
Quarriers provides support and care for adults and children with a physical or learning disability, for children and families facing poverty, family breakdown, exclusion and disadvantage and for young people with social, emotional or behavioural difficulties, or who are homeless. Quarriers also offers support to carers of all ages who need respite, advice or just a friend to listen, it also has the only residential epilepsy assessment centre in Scotland.
The organisation has grown considerably since it was founded in 1871 by William Quarrier at Bridge of Weir, expanding to meet the needs of children, adults and families all over Scotland – and beyond. Staff numbers are now in excess of 1800, providing services from over 100 locations – including Aberdeen, Bridge of Weir, Dumfries and Glasgow. Quarriers no longer runs orphaned children’s homes.
ENDS
This information and further details are available from Jane Smith at The Business:
T: 0131 718 6022
M: 07780 666 136
E: janes@thebusinesspr.co.uk
Notes to editors
- Young carers are children and young people under the age of 21 who look after someone in his or her family who have an illness, disability or mental health or substance misuse problems. They take on the practical and/or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult.
- A national survey conducted in 2004 by Loughborough University Young Carer Research Group found that only 29% of young carers caring for someone who misuses drugs or alcohol receive support. The National Association for Children of Alcoholics believes there are 920,000 children living with parental alcoholism but few are getting support outside the family.
- Anecdotal evidence from carers projects suggests many young carers miss days off school to care for someone, fall asleep in class and experience bullying and isolation from their peers.
- The 2001 Census estimated that there are 175,000 young carers in the UK, including 16,700 in Scotland. But The Princess Royal Trust for Carers believes that the real number of young carers is much higher because the Census makes no mention of alcohol or drug problems and many young carers are ‘hidden’ due to the stigma attached to these conditions. Some do not come forward because they and their families are frightened of outside interference and that they may be split up. Many do not even tell their teachers or friends. A lack of awareness amongst many professionals and lack of services in some areas are contributory factors to the most vulnerable young people remaining ‘hidden.’
- The Princess Royal Trust for Carers has been appointed by Comic Relief to manage a new £1million Grants Programme for the development of services for the most vulnerable and hidden young carers.
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