“I returned that evening with a renewed sense of purpose and passion to advocate for young adult carers within my university.”

To mark Carers Rights Day 2024, young adult carer Holly reflects on her recent experience meeting Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal.

On a recent random Wednesday morning, I headed out of my university accommodation for the start of the day. Normally, I would turn left, heading to a lecture or the department library. But this time, I turned right, headed to the station, and boarded a train to London.

I knew it would be an exciting day, one that intertwined personal experience with political advocacy. I knew it was an opportunity to advocate for causes close to my heart in a room full of policy makers, politicians, charity representatives and … royalty. What I didn’t know, however, was that I would return that evening with a renewed sense of purpose and passion to advocate for young adult carers within my university.

The Learning and Work Institute and Carers Trust event, Driving Change: supporting young adult carers’ transitions in education and employment, explored some of the practical, financial, and emotional barriers faced by young adult carers in their post-18 transitions. I was honoured to meet HRH Princess Anne before the event started – but thankfully after I had dusted the crumbs off my front and scrubbed at my orange Fanta stain – with other young carers, whose stories moved me and filled me with pride despite having only just met most of them. I discussed the conflicting feelings of guilt that young adult carers often feel when applying to university, as well as the disjointed or abrupt loss of support structure that can come with transitioning to adult services at the same time as potentially moving away from home. We also talked about distance caring, and how that can take an emotional toll, despite not feeling like a ‘proper’ carer (whatever that even means!).

As part of the event itself, I had the opportunity to appear on a panel with two other young adult carers. We shared our experiences, challenges, and hopes for the future, before joining the audience for an afternoon packed with talks from Chris Vince MP (the recently elected Chair of the APPG on Young Carers and Young Adult Carers), Kirsty McHugh and Andy McGowan from Carers Trust, Stephen Evans (Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute), and The Princess Royal. It is always so affirming to hear so many people speak so passionately about the much-needed change for young adult carers, particularly in relation to equal access to employment and educational opportunities. Being in a room full of people who are not only aware that young carers are 38% less likely to gain a university degree than their peers, but also committed to changing this narrative, has left a huge impression on me.

The event focussed on tangible actions that can be taken on an individual, organisational, and governmental level. Space was given to discuss Carer’s Allowance, and how many young adult carers are counterintuitively incentivised, or simply forced, to sacrifice their education, or work less hours a week, in order to qualify for a benefit that they deserve. Given that young adult carers are estimated to collectively provide £3.5 billion of unpaid care each year, it is unfair that being in full time education penalises them further, making them ineligible for Carer’s Allowance.

It has certainly instilled in me a need to act, something I hope to apply within my university. The work is beginning, with outreach events and a greater awareness of what a young adult carer is, yet there is more to be done. It has been a privilege to be a part of this event, but with this privilege comes a duty to turn this newfound energy and motivation into meaningful change.