We run values-based leadership academies for young people both from our centre in Skye and in the community. We work with young carers across Scotland, enabling them to take part in our academies by running them close to home.
This Young Carers Action Day, Ryan Duffy from East Ayrshire Carers Centre, explains the difference our academies make to the young carers he works with:
“East Ayrshire Carers Centre have built up a strong partnership with Columba 1400 over the past 20 years, providing respite and opportunities for the young carers to further develop their confidence and leadership skills.
“During the February holidays, we ran a residential respite for our young carers in their own local community in Kilmarnock.
“Over the course of the week, the young people participate in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor activities, all centred around leadership and values.
“The academy was hugely successful with all the young people involved displaying massively improved confidence and self-assurance.
“The opportunity for young carers to receive respite from their caring role whilst also having the time to self-reflect and consider their own leadership qualities is completely invaluable”.
This is what some of our young carers have said about the experience:
“All the team building activities have really helped my confidence. People here have listened to me and let me get my point across, more easily than in school where I sometimes get angry.”
“I didn’t have the confidence to speak up about my future. I can now see the point in having a good future and want to put the effort in to achieve this.”
“The confidence boost has made me feel motivated. [Before the academy] I was saying I’m stupid and can’t do things when I definitely can.”
