WYC Aspirations Fund

Event dates: Friday 20th August 2021 – Thursday 30th September 2021

We are building an Aspirations Fund to be able to reduce barriers that young carers face to achieving their aspirations. We aim for this to be a fund that is built upon every year so as to be able to support any young carers and young adult carers that may need it.

With the aspirations fund we would be able to purchase equipment for young carers that is vital for enabling them to achieve their next steps in work or education. Examples of the types of equipment that young carers and young carers may struggle to purchase themselves which we could provide if this project were successful are:

• £40 would provide a bus pass for a young carer to travel to an apprenticeship until their first payday
• £25 would provide some shoes for an interview
• £140 would provide some essential items for university accommodation
• £35 would provide an outfit for a work experience placement
• £15 would buy essential stationary for a college course

Many schools are unable to fund clothing or shoes for work experience for all of their low income families and any funds they do have are usually used to support those young people to access trips or enhancement activities.

Those heading to University may struggle financially until they receive their loans which don’t come in until week 2 or 3 of the first semester and the cost of the accommodation deposit or the items needed for halls of residence need to be met prior to them starting in September. The University packs which include all necessary items for University accommodation are also useful for those with chronically ill or disabled parents who would not be able to transport the young carer and all their belongings to University as the kits are delivered direct to their halls via the organisation who provides them.

Similarly, those who have just left school and are now applying for apprenticeships tend to have no money for interview clothing or travel to work until they first get paid, so they struggle with those upfront costs.

Sometimes if we apply for other Government funds it can affect the families benefits. Also the families are preparing to lose the benefits for one child once they start an apprenticeship or attend University so they are very concerned about taking on any additional costs.

If you are able, please help us to start our aspirations fund and remove some of the barriers young carers face in realising their aspirations.