Youngsters ‘over moon’ at cash windfall of £80,000
A SERVICE which offers support and respite for young people who help look after family members and loved ones has been awarded £ 82,672.
Skye and Lochalsh Young Carers (SLYC) was set up in 2000 by Marjory Jagger to raise awareness of the needs of young carers aged from five to 18.
The three-year grant will help pay for staff to deliver a range of activity sessions that improve the general wellbeing of young people with caring responsibilities.
Ms Jagger, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in January for her services to SLYC, told The Oban Times the money was given to them by Children in Need and that, because in September 60 per cent of their current funding would no longer be available to them, it had come at a vital time.
She added: ‘We are over the moon. The money will go towards their “accept the past and grab the future” project. The youngsters came up with the name and it involved them looking at what aspects of the service have worked in the past and which they felt could be improved.
‘This is the information we put in the application form to BBC Children in Need so for the youngsters to now know the level of trust that has been put in them and the investment is just so wonderful.’
According to Marjory, around 70 people receive support from SYLC a year. The project’s activities include weekly workshops on topics such as home and personal safety, managing emotions and relationships, healthy living, first aid, budgeting, positive decision-making and personal goal-setting.
But she says through its recent work, SLYC has developed to offer a more tailored service.
She said: ‘By listening to the young carers and what they need, we have certainly diversified. We now offer a pet welfare project, for example, and are really looking at providing a more holistic approach for them to tackle everyday life.
‘A lot of young people become a carer overnight and they find themselves with the responsibility of a pet as well as everything else.
‘Of course, looking after pets can be therapeutic but it is also daunting if you don’t know much about that animal, especially if they start to become ill.
‘It is not something that you would automatically think of but when you talk things through with the young adults it does make sense.’
Confirmation of the donation was received by SLYC on March 10 and Marjory gathered as many of the carers together to deliver the news.
She said: ‘You can see how much it meant to them. We are working on development skills to prepare them for interviews and the end goal is that they can get into work.
‘The organisation is so important for their self- esteem and if that was to be taken away we would be heartbroken.
‘ We are still waiting to hear about an application to the Big Lottery which has funded us for the past five years and is due to end in September so this is a big tick that keeps us going down the route we want to be for at least the next few years.’