Caring for someone at home can leave children and young people feeling isolated and overwhelmed by responsibilities. Many young carers struggle with worry, guilt and disrupted education, whilst their social opportunities become increasingly limited.
Why Peer Mentoring Works
Young people are naturally more receptive to support from their peers who have lived and breathed the same experiences. Our Peer Mentoring Programme enables experienced young carers to become mentors, using their firsthand experiences to provide friendship, reassurance and practical guidance to others navigating similar challenges. This peer-to-peer approach creates channels of communication and engagement, enabling young carers to share their worries, thoughts and feelings, a connection that can take adult workers considerably longer to establish.
We are delighted to announce that Carers Trust Solihull has secured £20,000 from the National Lottery to continue our peer mentoring and befriending programme for another year!
Programme Impact
The programme now supports young carers up to age 25, offering both individual and group mentoring sessions designed to improve emotional wellbeing, educational experiences and future opportunities.
Current reach:
16 active Peer Mentors and 6 Befrienders.
Over 75 young carers supported annually for the past 8.5 years.
Volunteers who generously donate their time despite having caring responsibilities at home.
This support proves especially valuable for young carers at the beginning of their caring journeys, who often feel uncertain about what lies ahead. Through mentoring relationships, they can connect with others who have faced similar challenges and develop hope for their futures.
Looking Ahead & How You Can Help
Whilst we are tremendously grateful to the National Lottery for this funding, we must secure additional support to continue this vital work beyond the next twelve months.
If you know of funding opportunities or organisations that might support our work, contact us: ginaward@solihullcarers.org
If you would like to take part in the Peer Mentoring programme, as a mentor or mentee, then please get in contact with our Young Carers Team at: youngcarers@solihullcarers.org, to find out what opportunities are available.
On behalf of young carers across Solihull, we extend our heartfelt thanks to the National Lottery for enabling us to continue supporting those who need it most.
