Two Bedford young carers, aged 4 and 9, were nominated for a bedroom makeover to celebrate national Young Carers Action Day (15 March 2023). This was in recognition of the amazing care they give to three of their family members who have physical health conditions. Their mum explained
“The makeover is a massive help, it will give the girls independence and a sense of security. They can shut themselves away and have time to themselves. They are looking forward to having sleepovers!“
We teamed up with bpha, Baileys heating company, Bellgroup and Bedford Repair Café to transform the bedroom which the sisters share. Amina Pagliari, a fine art student, gave a lot of volunteer time to come up with this stunning concept, and design. Ayesha Magree helped by adding some lovely finishing touches.
“Being a young carer means that at times a child has the responsibilities that even many adults may struggle with, juggling schoolwork and caring for a family member whilst still a child. But young carers are amazing young people and Young Carers Action Day is in recognition of this at times overlooked section of our community.
“We know how important it is for young carers to have a space of their own, a little sanctuary away from the busy-ness of the day-to-day. With the support of our partners, the girls now have a special place to relax, play and sleep.”
said Janice Styles, our Young Carers lead at Carers in Bedfordshire.
“The girls will be so excited to see this and amazed that they got everything they wanted”, said Mum, “They will be totally overwhelmed. Its been a really tough year and this will make a big difference to them. It makes me feel so much better that they are getting something that they really deserve.”
The theme of Young Carers Action Day this year is Make Time for Young Carers. Jim Playle, Community Engagement Officer at bpha said
“We’ve worked with Carers in Bedfordshire on a few projects, but bringing together a group of contractors to make a huge difference to two of our youngest residents is the most rewarding to date. It’s shocking to be told that some children start caring for others from as young as four years old, so the activities and events Carers in Bedfordshire run play a huge role in letting them just be children for a little while. The team have gone one step further with this bedroom makeover – the girls have a special, fun space of their own and they truly deserve it. And I’d like to thank Bell Group, Baileys Heating Company and Hurley Electrical for their willingness to give up their time and materials to create this fantastic space.”
We also held a special event for young carers to mark the Action Day. There was a virtual reality fun with Escape 2VR, pizzas to eat and a goody bag to take away. This was also a chance to hang out and relax, play games and have a laugh, meet other young carers and make friends.
Jan Styles said
“All young carers deserve a treat and some down time. They take on a lot of commitments and need something just for them now and again. We are grateful to the Carers Trust for supplying the goody bag treats and activities for our event”
