Overview

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Young Carers project is a registered Charity which would like to offer a seamless service to young carers in the Borough of Great Yarmouth. At present the project offers 4 peer support groups for young carers aged between 11 to 25 years of age, once a fortnight to enable them to meet together with their peers to share and discuss their personal situations. Sessions are facilitated by a qualified Youth Worker offering a different role model and support regarding their coping mechanisms and strategies to help them adapt as young carers. Young carers are offered targeted positive activities to enable improvement in their physical and mental health while offering respite from the intensity of caring .The groups offer support and respite, fun and learning opportunities to young people who are caring for their parents or supporting their parents in caring for a sibling. This may be because of a long-term illness or disability, mental health problem, learning disability or misuse of alcohol or drugs. Their caring responsibilities can have a dramatic effect on young people's lives. Their physical and emotional health can be affected, further impacting on their development and ability to achieve at school, thereby affecting future employment opportunities.

"Gygyc has gave me more confidence to tell people I'm a carer and has gave me the chance to make friends who don't judge me on my caring role."- Hannah Wright