An award-winning film is spearheading a campaign by Barnet Council to encourage thousands of young carers to come forward and get support.
We Know What to Do stars young carers from Barnet and focuses on the skills, heart, resilience, and creativity they display during their everyday lives.
It was developed by Barnet Carers Centre, a local charity that provides support for informal carers, to promote the Think Young Carer campaign, aimed at identifying young carers and helping them to access tutoring, mentoring, activity hubs and other forms of support that they may be missing out on.
Supported by the Mayor of London and directed by Stevie Jerram, We Know What to Do was named Highly Commended Small Charity Film at the 2024 Third Sector Awards.
Bella Prenga, one of the young carers who took part in the project and who attends Barnet Carers Centre, said:
“Having the opportunity to act and provide an insight in the film, into what life is like as a young carer, allowed a moment of self-realisation and reflection as to the independence, responsibility and problem-solving skills a young carer possesses.
“This gave us young carers a moment to praise ourselves as we acknowledge that despite our struggles, we have learnt to adapt, think quick on our feet and overcome obstacles, which invokes the thought ‘I know what to do’.”
Nationally, thousands of young people care for a relative, partner, friend or neighbour – but the vast majority are not known to health, social care or education services.
In Barnet, the school census identified 142 young carers in the borough, where the true figure is expected to be closer to 6,000.
Accessing support can help young carers deal with the unique challenges they face. Research shows young carers miss an average of 26 days of school every year, with almost a third being regularly late for school and nearly half reporting being bullied during the past year.
We Know What to Do is designed to celebrate young carers and raise awareness of what they do, focusing on real stories from the lives of each of the individuals who took part.
The young carers who acted in the film also helped to develop it, telling filmmakers how they wanted to be portrayed and devising the scenarios.
Cllr Pauline Coakley Webb, Cabinet Member for Family Friendly Barnet, said:
“Young carers play a huge role in supporting family members in Barnet, but we know that this has a significant impact on their lives.
“Too many of these remarkable young people are missing out on vital support because they have not been identified. Our Think Young Carer campaign aims to change all that by celebrating their achievements and raising their profile.
“My message to young people with caring responsibilities is: please, come forward and get the help and support you so richly deserve.”
The Think Young Carer campaign – a joint project between the council and Barnet Carers Centre – aims to ‘level the playing field’ with young carers so that they get the same opportunities as their peers.
Alongside the film, the council and Barnet Carers Centre have produced resources such as posters for schools, libraries and children’s hubs; and trading cards-style artwork for social media – all with the aim of raising awareness and helping carers to access support.
We Know What to Do is available to watch hereExternal link, and more information about the film can be found here: https://barnetyoungcarers.org.uk/all-about-the-film-2/External link
More information about the campaign is available via this link: https://barnetyoungcarers.org.uk/think-young-carer/External link
