My name is Helen and I am a carer for my Dad. He has Alzheimers and dementia. I was referred to Blackpool Carers by the Memory Clinic.

I enrolled on the Dementia Awareness course which has helped me to understand my Dad’s condition and how I can help us both to deal with things better. Following the diagnosis I had started to see my Dad in a different light which had been so difficult. The course helped me to put things into perspective and find new understanding. I have also attended the Mindfulness and 5 Steps to Wellbeing courses which gave me some time for myself. I am also now volunteering for Blackpool Carers and I love seeing how it all works.

Before I was referred to Blackpool Carers I felt totally isolated. Other than my daughter, I have no other family. I didn’t know how to cope with Dad’s diagnosis. I was extremely lonely.

Since receiving support I am more confident and look at things differently. I have met others who understand and who are there for me. I am still trying hard not to be so critical of myself but I now feel I belong and have someone to turn to.

My name is Anna and I have a very intense caring role. I care for my stepdad who has numerous health problems that affect his mobility and ability to look after himself.

I do most of the things in the home; household chores, helping with the shopping, decorating and finances. I also help with personal care such as bathing and washing his back and hair. I also help to look after my 4 younger siblings, helping them getting ready for school, picking them up and dropping them off.

I am quite positive about my caring role. I don’t mind helping my step dad and siblings, but I find that my caring role takes up a lot of my time and I sometimes feel trapped at home and feel socially isolated.
I was referred to Blackpool Carers by my school. I attended peer support sessions and joined the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) programme. I also attended trips and activities, accessed one to one support and had help writing a CV which has really helped me to progress.

Since receiving support from Blackpool Carers I’ve become more confident in social situations. I’ve made new friends and gained new skills attained through achieving the DofE Award. The support is really good and gives me a break. It has given me a better understanding and taught me different ways to deal with caring. It has helped both me and my family.

I am now using all that I’ve learnt to help me find employment.

My name is Ellie May and I care for my mum. She recently spent 5 months in hospital due to poor mental health. Now that mum is out of hospital I check that she has taken her medication on a daily basis. I help her with the household chores to give her a break. I help to clean up and tidy around the house and do jobs such as hoover up. I spend time with my mum and check in on her to make sure she is feeling ok. In the mornings, before going to school, I wake my mum up and make sure that she has everything she needs before I go out.

Before having a support worker from Blackpool Carers I used to get confused about how I could help to make my mum better and to understand about her condition. I used to get worried in case mum was to get really poorly again and what that would mean for me.

My support worker, Emma, came to see me and helped me to understand information about why my mum was poorly. We spent time together working on an emergency plan which helped me to spot signs and symptoms of my mum becoming poorly again. She also helped me to understand ways that mum and me can calm down and relax. We put together a list of contact numbers in case of an emergency. Emma also helped me to prepare for my move to high school and gave me ideas about putting in a good bedtime routine and a morning routine to help me to get the best out of school and look after myself.

I really enjoyed going to the respite party at Blackpool Carers. I had a great time and it was lots of fun! I’m looking forward to joining more respite sessions and making new friends.

I feel that I can cope much better with helping my mum because I now have a better understanding of the effects of my mum’s mental health.

I understand that she may progressively get better but I also understand that she may have dips with her mental health. What I have learnt through Blackpool Carers will help me in managing what the future holds.

My name is Charlotte and I was referred to the carers centre in September 2024. I had been looking after my mum and my brother for a long time and people realised that I was worn out by it all.

Every day I was cooking, cleaning, distributing medication and helping my mum whenever she was struggling with her medical issues. My brother needs 24-hour support due to his disabilities that affect his day-to-day life – this is another thing I had to help with.

A couple of years ago I had a bad experience with another carers centre due to anxiety and ASD; I was scared it was going to be the same experience. This is why I was unsure about going at first, but I am so glad that I joined the Young Adult Carers (YAC) project.

Through 1-1 sessions with Sam, I had the confidence to speak to her. This was the most that I had ever spoken to anyone, and it made me realise that I can speak to people, and I can make friends. Speaking to people has always been a challenge because I have selective mutism, but Sam has made me so relaxed and feel able to speak to people. I used to struggle with making friends due to my anxiety and thinking that they wouldn’t want to be my friend once they found out about my caring role. Since I have been going to YAC group it has made me understand that there are many other young adults who share similar experiences with me, and I have started to make friends. It’s so important to realise that you’re not on your own through all of this and it’s ok to need some support.

Sam really goes above and beyond with her support and really has made me the most amazing version of myself. I am so grateful for how much Sam has helped me. She is an incredible person, and I don’t know what I would do without her. The Carers Centre is a place where I can just be myself, have a worry-free time and get support whenever I need it, they really do make me proud of who I am.

If you are reading this and think you might be a young adult carer, please don’t hesitate to get some support from The Carers Centre. Call 01253 393748 and ask to speak to Sam or Dom. They are both amazing at what they do.

My name is Mia and I was referred to Blackpool Carers Centre in February 2024, I had been caring for my mum and my brother for a long time and felt really burnt out from it all. Every day, I was cooking, cleaning, walking my dogs and being a helping hand to my mum in times of crisis.

I was reluctant to go at first but I’m so glad that I joined the Young Adults Carers project. Through 1-1s with Sam, I built my confidence to understand my caring role and how to manage it better. These sessions gave me confidence to speak freely about how I felt, and it really validated my experiences. Sam really goes above and beyond with her support and has truly helped me become a better version of myself.

I used to struggle making friends due to my caring role, but through a few trips and the YAC group, I have met many friends who also share similar experiences with me. The residential trip in July was one of my favourite memories of the summer. The trip was a great experience to get out of the house and have worry-free time. Although I struggled at first, as the days went on, I really opened up and enjoyed the time away which has significantly helped me with my confidence.

The Carers Centre is a place where I can feel like myself and gain support whenever I need it, they empower you to be the best version of you. The Carers Centre has also given me other opportunities like speaking at a Caring Corporate Event in March, where I got to speak to a room full of local businesses about my caring role and the support I receive. This then led to me getting a job at the Imperial Hotel which I love. If you are reading this and think you might be a young adult carer, please don’t hesitate to get some support from the Carers Centre.