Young carers have a go at climbing and tennis in School Games event

Young carers from three Brighton & Hove schools took part in a School Games event designed to provide respite and introduce them to new activities.

Children aged seven to 11 from Elm Grove, Westdene, and St John the Baptist primary schools spent the morning climbing and playing tennis at Withdean Sports Centre, thanks to funding from Active Sussex.

The young people all have caring responsibilities at home, whether it’s for a parent or sibling, so the event gave them some time out to enjoy being active and to try new things.

Emma Greenough, Schools Games Organiser at Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “Today is about working with local schools, bringing out their young carers to have the opportunity to come out of school for the morning to be celebrated, to have the opportunity to represent their school to have a go at climbing and tennis.

“It’s an annual event targeted at specific young people who may not get active otherwise. It’s a nice opportunity for them to come out and have a go and it’s giving them the confidence to come back here if they want to.”

Running the event in school hours meant there was no extra pressure for families, and it can be expensive for families to try new things.

It was also a great way to introduce young carers to the activities at the leisure centre, as they can get discounts as young carers.

After tackling the climbing wall, one young carer said: “I thought it was really fun, I liked how we got to push boundaries.”

Another added: “I learned you don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it.”

And a third said: “My favourite bit was when we climbed and we had a timer. It felt good when I beat my time.”

Paula Melis from the Young Carers Project, said: “This is giving them that recognition and the peer support is brilliant.

“It’s the respite and mental break from caring responsibilities and worrying about things. It is just about them. Young carers don’t often get the opportunity to do these activities.”

Katie Manning, who works with young carers at Brighton & Hove City Council, added: “There can be a lot of stigma around being a young carer, but it’s part of their identity. We celebrate that. We want to support them in terms of having a welcoming community, a place where it is celebrated and they’re supported, it makes such a difference.”