Hello everybody,
As another month passes by (where on earth did May go?!), we have another blog for you. We have been as busy as always here at SYC, so there is a fair bit to catch-up on. Sit back, get comfy and join us for this months SYC blog.
Firstly, one of the best things about May is the warmer weather. The snow and sleet of March is now just a distant memory, and May has not disappointed sunshine wise – so much so that we have been able to start enjoying the warmer temperatures during group sessions! As you can see below, it is certainly picnic and park season for the foreseeable (well, apart from when we get the typical British Summer rain!).
May also saw Education Development Worker Shuna host an in-person Young Carers Schools Network meeting for the first time since 2020! The Schools Network hit 100 members not too long ago and is a great way for schools from across Sheffield to develop their policies and practices for their pupils who are young carers. The meeting was held at All Saints school and those who were able to attend shared practices, networked and there was also time for some role-playing. If you are interested in the Schools Network, you can find out more information here.
Our Schools Network members engaging in conversation at the recent meeting.
We also had some great news that ‘Hidden’, a short film about a young carer named Sean who cares for his Mother with early on-set dementia, by Michael Stevenson, Paul Riordan and the rest of the crew at Cusp Films, won not just one, but TWO awards at the British Independent Film Festival, which were held in London. Young carers from SYC and St Helen’s Young Carers were given work experience opportunities with the filming of Hidden, as well as SYC receiving funding for a day out to Adventure Now GB in Manchester. Congratulations again to everyone involved!
There was also some fantastic news on Wendy Chamberlain’s Carers Leave Bill. On the 24th May, the Bill gained Royal Assent and became the Carers Leave Act, meaning it will now become law! SYC has supported the Bill since it was first announced, so to see the it pass the stages/readings in Parliament is superb. The Bill will provide much needed employment rights for people who juggle their unpaid caring responsibilities with paid employment. Carers UK have been keeping everybody updated on the Bill and you can find out more here.
So, that is it for this blog – there is plenty more we probably could talk about, but we don’t want to run on for too long. We hope you’ve enjoyed getting all caught-up with SYC’s May blog 😊
If you’d like to write a blog for our website, we’d love to hear from you. Whether you’re a young carer, you used to be a young carer, you are supported by a young carer or you want to discuss important topics around young carers, all young carer blogs will be considered. As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, we want to post at least one blog/vlog once a month, so there is plenty of opportunity to get involved. Please get in touch with Nick by email - Nick.Hardwick@sheffieldyoungcarers.uk