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How to Support Your Local Carers

Fundraising is a great way to raise money for local carers, and can help to motivate the community and remind people of ways they can help charities and those in need. 

 

Fundraising ideas in line with the current COVID 19 restrictions

 

Unfortunately,  the Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on traditional fundraising methods and efforts, which has meant charities and organisations have had to change their approach to fundraising. At The Live in Care Company, we’ve decided to wrack our brains and help people get inspired! Below you’ll find lots of ways that people can get involved, do their bit and raise money, all while remaining social distancing and abiding by current lockdown rules. If you are looking to find out more regarding live-in care and all of its facets, you can read our guide to live-in care here

 

Sports and activity-related

 

  • Bike ride: set yourself a challenge on a virtual bike and cycle a set distance whilst asking family and friends to sponsor you
  • Coldwater dip: if you live near a pool of water, you might want to get sponsored to take a chilly swim!
  • Virtual marathon: if you have a garden or access to a treadmill you might like to think about running for a long-distance and even try to manage a 26-mile marathon if you are brave. You can ask friends and family to sponsor you for this by setting up a JustGiving page.

 

Virtual ideas

 

  • Virtual quiz: set up a quiz night for friends, family and others who want to join in via a video call platform. You can easily set up joint calls and even have teams play along. You can suggest a donation amount per person per night and run these weekly to build up a fundraising pot of money.

 

  • Virtual games night: It is important that you use an online game that has a multiplayer ability and one that your audience vote for. You could have someone pick a different game per night. The game will need to have scoring, and have a set time limit!

 

  • Virtual bake-off: Get a group of people involved in a bake-off where you have a judge who decides who’s cake or bake looks the best! You can ask people to put some money towards joining in.

 

  • Virtual concert: If you are musical and play an instrument or have a great singing voice then you might want to advertise that you are putting on a virtual concert and invite people you know to tune in for charity. You may even want to include on a sing-a-long at the end so everyone can get involved.

 

Arts and crafts

 

  • Create something with arts and crafts that you can sell online and use the profits for charity. You can get really creative with making jewellery, candles, artwork or even going through your wardrobe and selling clothes you no longer wear. 

 

Jobs

  • Hire yourself out for odd jobs in your community. Remember this has to be Covid appropriate but you might want to help neighbours with buying groceries, walking a dog or mowing someone’s lawn. You can say that you can let them know you are doing it for charity so any donations would be appreciated. 

 

Who qualifies as a carer? 

 

A carer is someone who looks after a family member, partner or friend, who needs support due to their illness, physical condition or mental health condition. Carers of this capacity, are unpaid and include both adults and young carers. Paid carers are non-family members who are hired for similar services but they do so as part of their job. 

Those who look after family, partners or friends may not see themselves as a carer, but rather as a loving part of their relationship. This means that many carers will have to juggle caring with other responsibilities such as work, family or study. Being a carer will look different for every person with some having to take on more responsibilities than others. 

 

How you can support young carers 

 

You can support young carers in a variety of different ways.

 

  • Help them to access support

There are various charities and supportive networks that young carers can be steered towards for support. Meeting other young carers through support groups in the local community can be really helpful and The Children’s Society runs such groups in local clubs. Childline on 08001111 can also offer advice and support to anyone that feels they want confidential support. 

 

  • Be there for them to talk to should they need it

Just being there as a friend or social support can be incredibly impactful for a young carer. Knowing that they can lean on someone for help if they need it or just voice their concerns can be really important. If you know a young carer, don’t pressure them into speaking with you but let them know that you are there for them should they need you. 

 

  • Provide respite care where possible

Everyone needs a break sometimes and young carers may be forgotten in this since their care duties are often part of their everyday lives. Offering to raise money for respite care or providing some care duties yourself, can help the young person have some time off from their care duties. 

 

  • Support them at school or with their studies

This can be a worry for many young carers who may find that they are behind in school work. You might want to offer to speak with their school together with them or support them with their studies if you can.

 

  • Talk to your local government body or set up awareness days

The local government play a big part in helping support young carers. It can be helpful to make them aware of the issues or set up awareness days so others can understand what challenges young carers experience. The local government should ensure that they involve carers in their policies and that carers have a say in thinking about ways in which they could be supported. GPs can be important parties involved in supporting carers and they can help reduce the burden of healthcare concerns. 

 

Young Carers Action Day 2021 (16th March) 

 

Young Carers Action Day is on the 16th of March and it is an annual event organised by the Carers Trust that aims to raise awareness for young carers and the amazing work and contribution they make to their families and communities. 

 

Young carers also include young adult carers aged from 18-25 years old, which was recommended in the feedback from young carers. 

 

This day really is about the future of the young carers and the skills that they have developed through being a carer. Skills that can be incredibly useful in all aspects of life and should be valued by future employers and higher education institutes. 

 

This year’s theme for the day is “PROTECT YOUNG CARERS’ FUTURES”

 

The resources on the Young Carers Action Day website can help you get involved. There are skill cards and skills journals that you can fill out. There is also a poster template if you wanted to advertise the day at school or in the community. 

 

Due to the coronavirus, times have not been easy for many. Young carers in particular have reported experiencing a decline in their mental wellbeing, felt more stressed and also less connected to others. The hours in which they are having to care for their family member have also increased since the start of the pandemic. Regardless of a pandemic, young carers can suffer from the impact of having to care at such a young age, including the effects on their education, social life and wellbeing. 

 

Young Carers Action Day 2021 is about celebrating all that these young carers have to offer and supporting them with the journey towards their incredible dreams and futures. For more information on how you can get involved, find it on the Carers Trust website. 

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