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How Ed is reaching the peak for young carers

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Ed's ready… Ed Robson plans to scale three peaks in 24 hours

Next month Ed Robson will be attempting to climb the Three Peaks (Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon) in 24 hours to raise money for a very special cause.

All funds raised by his amazing triple challenge will go to the York Carers Centre young carers service.

Support Ed via his fundraising page here

It’s not the first time he has invested his time and energy for those who care for others.

“Last year I completed the York Marathon, raising money for the York Carers Centre adult service,” said Ed, a social work lecturer at the University of York.

“But this year I wanted to a) complete a challenge that didn’t involve running, and b) focus on a group of people that still, sadly, fall ‘under the radar’.”

In his past professional life he managed young carers support projects in Hull and the East Riding. Children as young as five could find themselves in a caring role for either parents or siblings, who were suffering from an illness or disability.

Giving young people a break

Ed said the youngsters could see positive aspects to being a carer. But the role could have a negative impact on their education, physical and mental health, friendships and career aspirations, adding:

One of the real problems we continue to face is that huge numbers of young carers have not been identified.

But once they have been identified, support can be put in place to help reduce their caring burden and ensure that they don’t miss out on school and a social life.

One of the key roles of a young carers support service is to provide leisure activities, giving young people a break from their caring responsibilities.

When I offered to raise money for young carers in York, the one thing I did say was that I wanted any funds raised to go towards the young carers having some fun.

The summit of Ben Nevis. Photograph © martin_vmorris on Flickr

Lead officer for young carers at York Carers Centre Rosie Bayford said that they were thrilled that Ed is fundraising for them.

“The majority of the young carers we support struggle to leave the house during the holidays due to their caring role, so this money means we can take them on trips that they would otherwise not get a chance to go on, such as Mother Shipton’s Cave and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.”