Young carers projects

Our Young Carers programme consists of projects that help to support young carers in very practical ways.  From activities that give young carers access to experiences they may not otherwise have had, to mentoring support and tuition, our programme is designed to level the playing field for young carers and give them the opportunities that may have been denied to them because of their caring role.

Young Carers Mentoring Programme

Our mentoring project delivers high-quality mentoring intervention to young
carers in schools. The young carer meets a qualified and experienced mentor (many of whom have been young carers) every week, for eight or more sessions where the mentor can listen, guide and encourage. It is a safe, private and confidential space to help young carers to navigate their thoughts, worries and concerns with an adult they have developed trust with.  In the past two years we have mentored 263 young carers and the programme has a real impact.

Support our Mentoring Programme

Young Carers Tuition Programme

A recent report highlights that young carers miss an average of 23 days of school each year, which is more than a month of missed education. Nearly half of young carers in secondary schools are classified as “persistently absent,” indicating that their caring responsibilities often interfere with their ability to attend school regularly.
In Barnet, our tuition programme for young carers helps level the playing field.  Our tuition programme offers individual and bespoke tuition in a range of subjects such as Maths, English and Science but also in exams preparation, modern languages and vocational support.
Being a young carer should not disadvantage you at school.  Our tuition programme helps make sure that is not the case.

Support our Tutoring Programme

Young Carers Activities Programme

Activities are the backbone of our service. The children and young people who engage in through the activities start with little to no confidence and they grow extraordinarily becoming independent, confident and happier children and young people. Our activities are not simply a one-off trip or workshop, these are opportunities for children to be, learn, integrate, discover and develop, and, more importantly, to seek further support.

Our activities programme is so much more than a trip to the theatre – it is often a gateway to many of our other services for young carers who are in need of support.

Support our Activities Programme

Adult carers projects

Adult carers come in all shapes and sizes.  But we know that they often sacrifice a tremendous amount to care for and support someone they love.  Those sacrifices can be financial or a cost to their own health and wellbeing.  As a society we could not survive without our informal carers and in Barnet the value of the care provided has been estimated at £858m per year!  Our programme of support for adult carers is there to tackle many of the issues face, especially around their wellbeing.

Carers Wellbeing Programme

We know that many carers are “drowning not waving” and are struggling with increasingly higher hours of caring.  52% of carers are providing more hours of care than they were a year ago and in Barnet, 25% of carers are delivering over 50 hours of care every week – something that we know has a considerable impact on carers wellbeing.

Our wellbeing programme provides yoga and mindfulness sessions, walking groups, coffee morning that allow carers to get together and other peer support activities,  These are often a lifeline for many carers and are essential to many of the carers we support.

Support our Carers Wellbeing Programme

Carers Counselling

Our counselling programme is one of our most in-demand services.  For carers in particularly difficult situations such as coming to terms with relationship changes or loss, the counselling service can provide immense support.  Our counsellors are all volunteers who give up their time to support carers in their time of need.  The service is professionally supervised and supported.

In 2026 we want to increase the number of counselling hours that we have available.  It is an essential service.

Support our Counselling Programme