By Josh Parker, Community Champion Programme Manager, MYTIME Young Carers

Carers Rights Day shines a light on the challenges faced by young carers and ensures they know their rights and where to turn for support. At MYTIME Young Carers, we believe that creating a supportive environment starts with equipping the community itself.

That’s why we were thrilled by the success of our inaugural Community Champion Workshop, held as part of the annual MYTIME Young Carers Education Summit at Bournemouth University.

Community Champion workshop

The Education Summit provides a vital platform for discussion and collaboration. This year, we introduced the Community Champion Workshop as a focused, practical session for our local partners.

The workshop brought together 30 passionate participants from various community organisations across the region. Their collective enthusiasm highlighted the powerful desire within our local community to step up and make a tangible difference in the lives of young carers.

What attendees gained

The session was designed to move beyond general awareness and provide attendees with actionable knowledge, tools, and strategies. Key topics and outcomes included:

• Identifying Young Carers: Practical techniques for recognising the signs that a child or young person may have caring responsibilities.
• Creating Inclusive Environments: Strategies to help young carers feel genuinely included, seen, heard, and valued within community groups, educational settings, and youth organisations.
• Best Practice Sharing: Opportunities for participants to discuss current challenges and share effective, real-world support methods.
• Pathways to Support: Clear information on how to refer young carers to specialist support services, like those offered by MYTIME.

Making a real difference together

The energy in the room was electric, marking an exciting step forward. As Community Champion Programme Manager, I was genuinely inspired by the commitment shown by everyone who attended.

“It’s incredible to see so many leaders from the education & community sectors committed to making real change for young carers,” said Krista Cartlidge, CEO of MYTIME Young Carers. “We have seen some incredible wins for young carer awareness in recent years, but we must keep this momentum and turn growing awareness into tangible support. Every conversation and every connection made at the Summit brings us one step closer to ensuring no child’s future is determined by their beginning.”

MYTIME Young Carers relies on strong partnerships to raise awareness and drive change. Through initiatives like the Community Champion Workshop, we are building a network of committed local advocates who can deliver meaningful, everyday support.

Be a champion: Join the movement

Together we can create better outcomes for young carers.

Are you interested in becoming a Community Champion and attending future awareness training, CPD opportunities, or workshops? Do you want your organisation to be better equipped to support young carers?

• Contact us today: Please reach out to josh@mytimeyoungcarers.org to discuss future training dates and partnership opportunities.
• Stay Informed: To keep up-to-date with all our latest news and events, sign up for the MYTIME Young Carers newsletter.
• Free awareness training to help understand, recognise and support young carers for any local group, club, setting or volunteer-led organisation that would benefit from knowing more about young carers and how to reduce barriers for them. Interested? Please complete the Expression of Interest form.