At just eleven years old, Joel has already been an unpaid carer for three years – helping his mum and sister before and after school. His sister has severe ADHD and Tourette’s. His mum struggles with the effects of her diabetes.

Extreme cold weather is particularly risky for his mum because of her condition, making rising energy bills even more worrying for Joel and his family this winter. 

“When there’s really bad weather, if it’s very cold or hot, mum gets very ill with it, so I help her,".

“Last time I tried to get my sister to calm down, she flipped, and hit me hard. I know that was by accident though, because after she said sorry.”

Joel has benefitted from meet ups with other young carers like him - safe spaces for young carers to share their emotions and frustrations and help them feel less alone in the adult situations they face daily. Joel has got so much out of these events. He’s learning to recognise his emotions and is realising that there are other children out there like him too.

Could you donate today to support someone like Joel through the festive season?

• £10 could help a young carer celebrate the season and attend a festive event held by their local carer service.
• £25 could give a young carer peace of mind, helping to pay for a specialist counselling session.
• £50 could enable a young carer to reach their potential by providing a dedicated mentor for a young carer who is struggling at school, giving them hope for the future.

“If I got really annoyed I would just lash out. When I go to the meet-ups I get to talk to new people, and one of them might have anger issues as well, so we can help each other out.” 

Joel also recently attend a Young Carers Festival where young carers could enjoy activities including music, magic shows and mindfulness. 

”I didn’t have to worry about anybody else for a whole day!”.

Donate today to help more young carers like Joel get a break from their caring role and spend time with other young carers who know what they are going through.