Partners

Our project is currently operating in the UK and Japan and we are talking to potential partners in other countries. Our project team are all enthusiastic members of the Young Carers Alliance and are operating from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Kingston upon Thames in the UK and Nagoya in Japan.

Nagosib and Japan

Our project started in the UK, arising from conversations between people involved in a documentary film project about young carers.

This included Yumi Sugiura and Ayaka Kaminagayoshi who have started our Japanese project team. This has been with the support of the charity Nagosib who have used their website to help disseminate information.

In July 2024 they shared information about illustrations made by artist Ana Graça that were available for free download. The initial set of information they produced can also be accessed via the Nagosib website.

These images have already been used by organisations in the Japanese cities of Nagoya, Nara, Uji and Osaka.

Young Carers Alliance

The Young Carers Alliance is a growing network of well over 200 organisations and 700 individuals committed to improving the lives of young carers, young adult carers and their families.

The Alliance is run with supportby the Carers Trust and brings together representatives from research, policy and practice, all of whom are committed to bringing about improved outcomes for all young carers.

The Young Carers Alliance provides opportunities for collaboration, sharing best practice and a strong, collective voice for young carers. This includes provision of regular free newsletters and webinars.

Young Carers In Early Childhood

We are working closely with the University of Plymouth’s Young Carers in Early Childhood Programme. This is important research project and is looking at the lives and needs of younger Young Carers (age 0 to 8) who are all too often overlooked. The research is being led by Carly Ellicott who is pictured below (featured left) with artist and author Ana Graça.

Carly’s research will include analysing feedback about use of publications and illustrations from our project. You can read more about the research programme including how to contact Carly and her team by clicking here

Kingston Carers’ Network

KCN provide independent information, support and advocacy to over 3,600 adult carers and nearly 800 young carers in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

Kingston Young Carers Project has been pleased to partner with the Young Carers Illustrations Project to help make pictures to improve recognition and support for our youngest young carers.

Primary school-aged young carers from Kingston helped Ana Graça with lots of ideas for pictures and a storybook. These provide fun ways of explaining who young carers are and discussing their needs and feelings with them.

Rab Ferguson

If you, or any young carers you know have enjoyed “Young Carers in Bunnyland”, we would also recommend “The Late Crew” books by Rab Ferguson. As well as being great fun for young people to read, Rab tells us that there are 3 aims behind The Late Crew:

‘Young carers will be excited to see themselves in a book!
Other young people will understand what it means to be a carer.
Some children will read it and realise that they are a carer, even if they didn't know before”.

Having young carers in books can also help their parents and teachers understand. So to find out more, why not have a look at the “The Late Crew” website?

MYTIME Young Carers

We were excited to read an excellent new research paper: “Born to Care: Understanding the Experiences of the Youngest Young Carers” authored by MYTIME Young Carers Level Up Coordinator, Jo Cooper.

Click here to read

The term “Younger Young Carers” has been coined within the Young Carers Alliance to describe young carers in early childhood (0 to 8 years old). This new report is a hugely important contribution to the developing conversation about how to ensure proper identification and support for these children. It contains important recommendations for our “Early Years” sector.

There are no lower age limits for the rights of young carers and yet many local authorities act as if there were. In some areas, commissioned services do not even start until age 8; unlawfully ignoring the needs of young carers in both early years and at key stage one in primary schools. All too often, children are missing support or recognition, sometimes waiting for as much as 10 years before receiving support.

The existence of very young children caring is not a rare exception but is commonplace across the whole of the UK. We look forward to working with Jo and others to ensure that these children have their needs recognised and supported.

Create

We find that quite a few of the young carers organisations who make use of our Young Carers Illustrations Project publications also work with the multi-award-winning charity Create. The charity focuses on empowering lives, reducing isolation and enhancing wellbeing through the creative arts; something we also believe to be crucially important.

Create’s professional artists run creative arts projects with people facing challenges in their lives, including young carers. Create supports them to express themselves, build skills, meet other people and boost their wellbeing. Twenty-six artforms include painting and drawing, music, dance, photography, film-making and drama.

Create’s focus is on engaging some of the most marginalised participants across the UK in inspiring, sustainable arts programmes in areas where provision is poor and engagement in the arts is low. The charity believes that everyone – regardless of circumstances, behaviour, age, gender, race or disability – deserves the chance to engage with the creative arts. One of Create’s priority areas is working with young carers.

Our Young Carers Illustrations Project has developed informal links with Create and has been very grateful for their advice. Create provides important support for young carers and, in simple terms, we see them as kindred spirits!

For more information about how to support their vital work, see: https://createarts.org.uk/about-us/