Local teens launch Regional Young Carers Service

A new Northern Ireland Regional Young Carers Service aimed at supporting children and young people who look after family members was recently launched at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

Young carers Demi Laverty from Ballymena and Ailsa Wilson and Hanna McKinney from Ballymoney helped launch the service together with Director of Barnardo's NI Lynda Wilson and Director of Action for Children Louise Warde-Hunter.

The new service celebrates young people as superheroes and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Services.

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Una Magee from Barnardo's NI and Paul McConville, from Action for Children both encouraged young people who have not yet heard of the service to make contact. "We offer young carers support through having someone there they can talk to. We also organise outings and activities giving young carers the chance to be free of a caring role, at least for a time and meet other young people," they said.

Details of the new NI Regional Young Carers service can be found on the website www.youngcarersni.com.

Fionnuala Mc Andrew, Director of Social Care and Children, Health and Social Care Board said: "All young carers across Northern Ireland have a right to enjoy their childhoods and we have been greatly encouraged by the willingness of different agencies, sectors and individuals to work together to improve the quality of young carers lives."

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