Carers Trust announces formation of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers
Carers Trust is delighted to announce the formation of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers.
The group, the first of its kind in Westminster, held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday 20 July with Carers Trust, the UK charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers, appointed to provide the secretariat.
The APPG will provide a cross-party platform at Westminster for MPs and Peers committed to supporting the over one million young carers and young adult carers in the UK. Research by Carers Trust in February 2022 showed that more than half (53%) were spending significantly more time on their caring role over the last year. And 42% said their caring role resulted in them feeling stressed most of the time. More concerningly still, over half of the survey respondents reported they were getting very little support to help them cope with the overwhelming demands of balancing caring with their education. In the absence of meaningful support for young carers and young adult carers, the life opportunities of many are being blighted in terms of educational attainment as well as mental health and wellbeing.
In addition to promoting awareness among parliamentarians of young carers’ needs and the issues affecting them, the group will provide a forum for young people with caring responsibilities to share their experiences with MPs and Peers.
Six MPs from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Labour were elected as officers of the APPG for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers.
Chair: Paul Blomfield MP (Lab)
Vice-Chair: Duncan Baker MP (Con)
Vice-Chair: Rt Hon Ed Davey MP (Lib Dem)
Vice-Chair: Barbara Keeley MP (Lab)
Officer: Fleur Anderson MP (Lab)
Officer: Gill Furniss MP (Lab)
The following parliamentarians have also joined the APPG for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers as members (1).
Baroness Brinton (Lib Dem)
Marion Fellows MP (SNP)
Baroness Lister (Lab)
John McDonnell (Lab)
Baroness Pitkeathley (Lab)
Liz Twist MP (Lab)
Lord Young of Cookham (Con)
MPs and Peers are welcome to join the APPG and should contact appg@carers.org. Carers Trust will also be holding a mailing list of observers via this address.
Welcoming the formation of the APPG, its Chair, Paul Blomfield MP, said:
”I’ve worked with young carers in Sheffield for several years and have taken their concerns to Parliament many times. They’re truly extraordinary in the way they balance caring responsibilities with all the other pressures in their young lives and deserve all the support we can give them. I’m now delighted to be working with colleagues from across parties, with Carers Trust and most importantly with young carers themselves to provide them with a voice at the heart of decision-making.”
Carers Trust’s CEO, Kirsty McHugh, continued:
“Over one million young people across the UK are juggling caring responsibilities with school, university or work. If left unsupported, this can have a real impact on mental health and wellbeing, as well as a long-term scarring effect on lives.
Although there have been important steps forward in recent times, such as the inclusion of a question on caring responsibilities in the school census, the plight of young carers has been largely hidden at Westminster. I am therefore delighted that this APPG has been set up as a means of putting this right.”
Young adult carer Emma Saunders, a Policy and External Affairs Intern at Carers Trust, said:
“It was a pleasure to be present at the inaugural meeting of the APPG. Young carers and young adult carers take on immeasurable responsibilities when coping with their caring role, education, and personal life. Speaking as a young adult carer, it’s safe to say these responsibilities can isolate us from the lives we want to live.
“Young carers absolutely need more Government recognition and support to help with their caring responsibilities. But equally their strengths and contribution to society should also be celebrated. I hope the APPG will provide an environment to achieve this while creating a space for the voices of young carers and young adult carers to be heard.”
Ends
Click here to visit the webpage for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers.
You can also follow the APPG on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers on Twitter.
Notes to Editor:
- Although membership provides no direct responsibility, it enables MPs and Peers to attend the APPG’s meetings and support its activities.
For further information please contact:
Matt Whitticase on mwhitticase@carers.org and 07824 539481.
About Carers Trust
Carers Trust is the UK charity working to transform the lives of unpaid carers across the UK. It partners with its network of local carer organisations to provide funding and support, deliver innovative and evidence-based programmes and raise awareness & influence policy. Carers Trust’s vision is that unpaid carers are heard and valued, with access to support, advice and resources to enable them to live fulfilled lives.