Young Carers Service
We offer support to young people aged 5 to 25 with a caring role for a loved one or family member across the Bridgend Borough.
Young Carers Service Manager – Alissa Bevan
Hello, My name is Alissa and I manage the Young Carers Project at Bridgend Carers Centre. I have had the privilege of working with and supporting the Young Carers in Bridgend since January 2020. I am very passionate about my job role and have recently stepped into the Manager role. Helping to get Young Carers recognized is a vital part of my role to ensure they get the support and help they and are entitled to.
Teen Young Carers Support Worker – Erica Stevens
I started the role in Bridgend Carers Centre at the beginning of January 2023 and therefore, am relatively new to the team. I have been thoroughly enjoying getting to know all the young carers and supporting them within my role. I provide support to carers aged between 5 and 25 by going into their school or place of education and offering one to one support for them.
Alongside this role, I have been organising the activities for the Teens Group (children aged between 13 and 16). This is held once a month and is a good sense of escapism for the young carers. It allows them to be around people that they can relate to and form strong bonds with, which they find really helpful. Part of the job is also planning activities for the young carers to partake in during their half term breaks from school, this can include taking them bowling, or for food etc.
I have learnt a lot about young carers since I first started the role but am looking forward to continue to learn more and raise awareness of them through my work.
Teen Group
We run a monthly group, funded by Children In Need, at the centre for young carers aged 13 – 17 to have a break from their caring role and meet others in a similar situation as themselves. We offer training and skills workshops and fun activities . We also offer trips, short breaks and residentials during the school holidays.
For more info on the Teen Young Carer Service you can contact Erica on 07384813685 or Erica.Stevens@bridgendcarers.co.uk
Under 13’s Young Carers Support Worker – Julie Rixon
I started the role in Bridgend Carers Centre at the beginning of January 2023. I joined the young carers team in July 2024 and I am passionate about my role and I have enjoyed getting to know the young carers and supporting them. I provide one to one support to carers aged between 5 and 25 by going into their school or place of education.
Alongside this role, I have been organising the activities for the 5-9s and 10-12s Group. This is held once a month and allows the young carers to meet up with people their own age who they can relate to and have fun with. This gives them a break from their caring role and gives them an opportunity to build friendships. Part of the job is planning activities for the young carers during their half term breaks from school, this can include taking them to a playcentre, beach or for food etc.
I have learnt a lot about young carers since I started my role and I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge and raising awareness through my role.
Under 13’s Groups
Our under 13’s are split into two separate age groups of 5-9 year olds and 10-12 years olds. We offer a monthly group at the centre for both age groups running age appropriate activities and also offer short breaks/trips and activities in the school holidays. This gives our younger carers the opportunity to meet other young carers in a similar situation as themselves and gives them the chance to do things they might not be able to do as a family because of their life limiting conditions.
For more info on the Under 13’s Young Carer Service you can contact Julie on 07497309383 or Julie.Rixon@bridgendcarers.co.uk
Young Carers in Schools Project
This project is for young carers aged 5 – 25 and allows us to provide one to one support for young carers who are struggling that little bit extra. These one to one sessions can be delivered in, or outside of school. We provide emotional and practical support to help young carers to manage their caring role alongside their education. We go in to all primary and secondary schools to train staff, support schools, deliver awareness raising sessions and offer assemblies to help identify young carers within the school. We offer a monthly group in each of the comprehensive schools in Bridgend to check in with those Young Carers living in harder to reach areas to ensure that there are no barriers to our support.
‘The Bear Who Struggled to Care’
‘The Bear who Struggled to Care’ is a book about caring written by Bridgend Young Carers.
The book can be purchased in English or Welsh and costs £4.99 plus 99p p & p. All proceeds go towards projects which support Young Carers and Young Adult Carers in Bridgend.
