Young carers’ voices get heard at West Linton festival

Oct 9 2008 by Marjorie Kerr, West Lothian Courier

YOUNG carers were invited to a special event to voice their opinions on a new group which will represent them.

Six local teenagers took part in the first-ever Young Carers Festival on September 13 and 14 in the tented village at the Broomlee Centre in West Linton.

The event was attended by over 350 young carers from all over Scotland, and aimed to give them a voice on how a National Young Carers Forum should be established and what its remit should be.

The Scottish Government, pledged to develop a national young carers forum, provided £200,000 to enable the festival to take place.

Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health, and Adam Ingram, Minister for Children and Early Years, attended the festival, as well as MSPs, directors of social work and key decision makers in the lives of young carers.

The festival gave young carers a voice in the future of young carers' services, and also gave them a break from caring and the chance to have lots of fun.

As well as flying foxes, samba drumming and surfing, a Festival Radio station was set up on site.

Sanjeev Kohli, who plays Navid in BBC Scotland’s ‘Still Game’, opened the festival on the Saturday.

Trespass in Livingston Designer Outlet kindly donated eight sleeping bags and eight roll mats to help make it possible for the West Lothian youngsters to go along to the event.

And Wilma Philpot, Young Carer development worker, and the young carers said they were very grateful to Stephen Jackson, area manager at Trespass, and the other company staff.

For further information on the project, contact Wilma Philpot, Young Carer Development Worker, 25A North Bridge Street, Bathgate, EH48 4PJ, or call 01506 776999 or e-mail wilma.philpot@westlothian.gov.uk