Young Carers Festival

The largest festival in the world for young carers

2025 Event

27th - 29th June

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Support YCF

Do you or your organisation want to show your support for young carers at YCF? We’d love for you to be involved and show your support for all the incredible work these carers do every day.

Get involved

Every summer, YMCA Fairthorne Manor hosts the largest festival in the world for young people with a caring responsibility at home.

Run in partnership with The Children’s Society, the unmissable weekend gives young carers the chance to have fun, unwind, make new friends, try new things, and have their voices heard to influence political change. Event highlights include, fireworks opening night, fairground rides, inflatables, live music, outdoor activities! The next event is in 2025.

Younger carer at ycf holding a sign

Who can book?

The Young Carers Festival is aimed at secondary school aged young carers from 11-17 years, with all young carers attending as part of an organised group.

If you’re a young carer but not linked with a support group, find the local group in your area via The Children’s Society, one of our festival partners.  The festival is a great way to meet new friends or get to know others better.

Volunteer for YCF

Do you want to support young carers and YCF? Show your support by volunteering and getting stuck in at this fantastic event.

Get involved
Young Carers Festival camping

Booking information

Places booked for the festival include camping (choose from YMCA tents or bring your own), all meals and a full programme of fun stuff including bands, outdoor activities, fireworks and more.

Early bird rates will be available!  Please note that day passes are not available for this event.

Will set up a closed group for leaders to enable us to share information quickly with you, connect groups and answer any common questions closer to the event.

Young Carers Festival 2023

For young carers, the weekend is yours! Chill out under a tree, listen to the onsite radio station and chat to friends or dip into the packed programme of outdoor activities, live bands, fairground rides, karaoke and much more.

Event Supporters

A unique outdoor activity venue set in the heart of Hampshire countryside. With 95 acres of land to explore including ample camping grounds, woodlands, an enclosed lake, plus and enchanting entrance to upper reaches of the River Hamble.

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FAQs

Unfortunately all young people need to be attached to an organised group who will sort out their own bookings, logistics, paperwork and transport etc.   As the host of the event YMCA Fairthorne Manor organise the activities, entertainment and food but are unable to take responsibility for individual young people.  To find your local group please go to: https://www.childrenssociety.org.uk/information/young-people/young-carers/local-service-finder

The festival is set up for a weekend event so logistically we are unable to offer single day passes
We are used to catering for lots of different dietary requirements; please make sure you gather all the necessary information from the parents to pass over to the organising team as part of the pre-arrival information.  Once you have made your booking with us you will receive the dates that this will be required.  If you need to speak to us about an individual please contact us on ymca-fg.org/ycf and one of the team will get in touch.
It is up to each young person what they take part in during the festival; some want to try everything, others like to make new friends and chill in the open fields, and others somewhere in between.  Over the weekend a full programme of outdoor activities, specialist workshops, live music, arts and crafts, consultation and evening entertainment along with pamper and chill out zones will be available.  Some will operate on a book in advance basis and these will be advised closer to the time, but most are on a drop in basis.

There will be facilities for both Leaders and Young people to charge their phones over the weekend free of charge.  Please ensure you bring cables with the phones to the charging points.

YMCA Fairthorne Manor

A unique outdoor activity venue set in the heart of Hampshire countryside. With 95 acres of land to explore including ample camping grounds, woodlands, an enclosed lake, plus and enchanting entrance to upper reaches of the River Hamble.