Young Carer's Project Kingston: The Support That Changed My Life

 

"You can't achieve anything entirely by yourself . There's a support system that is a basic requirement of human existence. To be happy and successful on earth, you just have to have people that you rely on." - Michael Schur

I've spoken a lot about my experience as a Young Carer, and how having a younger brother with Special Needs has made my life, well, different. From feeling agonizingly lonely as a result of not having a brother to make memories with to getting my arms tied together and head smashed in what seems to be his way of "play": I've gone through all of it. I usually describe how I changed my view on my relation with my non-verbal sibling by stepping out of my problem and, with a lot of resilience, treating it as a unique, amusing reality. 

However, to say that my self-revolutionising (in the humblest way possible), stemmed from me and only me would be far from the truth. In fact, it's nowhere near the truth. True, I did learn my way around this period of isolation through some deal of perseverance, but looking back, that was only a small pixel in the big picture. It's time to celebrate the unsung hero of my, and several hundreds of others', development: the Young Carer's Project - Kingston Carer's Network.

The YCP Kingston is a support system that is dedicated to making time for young carers (anyone 5-18 years old who looks after someone with a disability or long term illness) and helping them take their minds off the worries and challenges faced at home, and giving them something what they deserve: the ability to have fun and enjoy the outside world with other people in a similar situation to themselves. More often than not, young carers will find it difficult to take part in the activities that most people take for granted: from not being able to go with friends to even getting enough time to study or revise for exams. As you can imagine, for someone at such a young age to be forced to take up such a level of responsibility is a lot more difficult than it sounds. 

So what exactly is the role of the YCP? By giving young carers the opportunity to take part in exciting activities, from bowling to e-karting to trips to the London Dungeons, they always succeed in making everyone's day. And it's not just the diverse plethora of adventures and experiences offered that help young carers, but also the social element of it which makes each and every individual feel part of a great big family, never left out. From my own experiences with the YCP, I have made several close friends over the past few years and am sure that I am not the only one finding more and more opportunities to broaden my horizons and friend circle. 

One of the fondest memories I have was, of course, the day we got to meet Niall Horan for the Children In Need program back in 2017. Being given such a magical opportunity in my life has made me realise how important the YCP has been in my development for the last few years. From Niall’s surprise entry, to his amazing performance, to signing my jumper, I can quite easily say that was one of the best days of my life. And whilst my signed jumper, which was quite frankly the pinnacle of my bragging rights over my school friends, is now as well-hidden as the Holy Grail, it was the memories made that day which made me discover that maybe there would be some light at the end of the tunnel.

The impact of the YCP, however, is much deeper and profound. Before joining the project, it seemed as if I was the only one in the situation that I was in, and that I had just got it unlucky. Perhaps, being a big brother (my biggest dream at the time) was not something I deserved. When I joined the YCP, I discovered that this was actually not the case and that I was only one out of thousands of other young people facing a hard time at home. I no longer felt alone. I no longer felt unlucky. In fact, learning about the experiences of other young carers made me feel extremely lucky to be in the situation that I am in. Most importantly, I no longer felt like I was ripped away from the "normal" life I once envisaged. I could finally see the silver lining in the dark cloud I once thought would be raining over me for the rest of my life.

That being said, the reality is that nothing at home has changed: it will be a long time before my brother is even able to tell me a simple phrase, let alone strike up a conversation. But by making time for me, the support systems I have had the privilege of being a part of has resulted in something arguably better – I now see the glass more half full than half empty. I love spending time with my brother, and enjoy his quirks, innocence, and getting pulverised in a WWE like fashion. I no longer feel like I am missing out on the fraternal bond I never thought I would have, and I can wholeheartedly thank the time made for me and other young carers by these amazing support system. 

The Young Carer's Project has been an instrumental part of my life and will definitely be an integral part of my being. Being part of the support system for almost six years, I can safely say that I have evolved to take on a more positive outlook towards life in general. The YCP is just one of the many organisations devoted to helping the development of young carers and changing their lives for the better. It's imperative that we highlight the noble acts of the people who are selflessly driving these projects simply out of love and affection. They have given me and hundreds of other young people the ability to embrace the world and feel valued, for which I am eternally grateful.

A very special thanks to Liz Grimwood and the YCP team, who have been dedicated to supporting young carers, always striving to give 110%  in everything they do. They have given me a world of joy, confidence, hope and unity, and have made me feel proud to be who I am today.