Today (Wednesday 11 March), YMCA Fairthorne Group is proud to mark Young Carers Action Day by announcing a new bursary fund that will help more Young Carers attend the Young Carers Festival, the world’s largest event dedicated to young people with caring responsibilities.
Young Carers Action Day highlights the vital role played by Young Carers across the UK and raises awareness of the challenges they face while supporting family members with illness, disability or long-term conditions.
Across the country, thousands of children and young people provide daily care for loved ones — often balancing school, friendships and their own wellbeing alongside significant responsibilities at home. While this support is given with love and commitment, it can also mean Young Carers miss out on many of the experiences that make childhood special.
That’s why YMCA Fairthorne Group is announcing a new Young Carers Festival bursary, which will be available for Young Carer groups to apply for, helping more young people access a weekend designed especially for them.
How to Apply
Any Young Carer group interested in applying for the new bursary should register their interest using the following form:
👉 https://forms.office.com/e/0KFDSfuQYj
This will allow the team at YMCA Fairthorne Group to provide further information about the bursary and support groups with the application process.
A Break Young Carers Truly Deserve
The Young Carers Festival, hosted each year at Fairthorne Manor, brings together Young Carers from across the UK for a weekend of fun, connection and recognition.
The festival is a unique camping experience for Young Carers aged 11–17, packed with music, outdoor activities, fairground rides and spaces to relax — giving young people the opportunity to simply be themselves.
For many Young Carers, the festival provides something they rarely experience:
- time away from caring responsibilities
- the chance to meet others who truly understand their lives
- and the opportunity to enjoy the freedom and fun that every young person deserves.
With more than 1,500 Young Carers attending each year, the Young Carers Festival is recognised as the largest gathering of Young Carers anywhere in the world.
Supporting Young Carers All Year Round
While Young Carers Action Day helps raise awareness, the message from YMCA Fairthorne Group is clear: Young Carers deserve recognition and support every day of the year — not just on 11 March.
The new bursary is designed to help remove financial barriers for Young Carer groups, ensuring that as many young people as possible can attend the festival and experience a weekend that celebrates them, their resilience and their incredible contribution to their families.
In addition to this new bursary, travel bursaries are also available through The Children’s Society, helping groups who may need additional support with the cost of travelling to the festival.
Together, these opportunities aim to ensure that distance or financial pressures do not prevent Young Carers from accessing the break they deserve.
A Moment to Be Young
Josh Towers, Director of Youth Services at YMCA Fairthorne Group, said:
“Young Carers show extraordinary resilience and dedication every day as they support their families and loved ones. The Young Carers Festival is about recognising that commitment and giving them the opportunity to step away from their responsibilities for a while, meet others who understand their experiences, and enjoy the freedom and fun every young person deserves.
This new bursary will help ensure that even more Young Carers can attend the festival and benefit from what is a truly life-changing weekend.”
Help Us Make It Possible
The Young Carers Festival is only possible thanks to the generosity of supporters, partners and donors who believe in giving Young Carers the break they deserve.
Individuals, organisations and businesses who would like to support the world’s largest event for Young Carers can find out more about sponsorship, partnerships or making a donation by visiting: https://ymca-fg.org/support-the-young-carers-festival/#ycf-donate
Together, we can help ensure Young Carers have the opportunity to recharge, connect and create memories that last a lifetime.
Because every Young Carer deserves not just recognition — but a childhood too.
