Young Carers
Our aims
- to promote awareness of young carers and their needs
- to have fun, to build self-esteem and confidence
- to create a safe environment for young carers to meet and access services and information that meet their needs
- to reduce secrecy, stigma, embarrassment surrounding young peoples caring role
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Writing Competition
Many of the Young Carers took part in our Writing Competition, held this Spring. We were delighted by the number and quality of the entries.
We are pleased to present the three winning entries below. These were by
| Saoirse Maguire | Age 9 |
| Anthony McDonnell | Age 12 |
| Daniel Morris | Age 14 |
Our congratulations go to each of the authors who won sports vouchers.
Click on the title to hop down to your poem:
Fiachra's Night Dream by Saoirse Maguire
age 9
Caring For Caoimhe by Anthony McDonnell age 12
Caring by Daniel Morris age 14
Caring by Daniel Morris age 14
Child by Daniel Morris age 14
How I Care For Caoimhe by Aoife McDonnell age 9
I Care For Caoimhe by Laoise McDonnell age 8
Jonathan by Sean Evans
Being A Young Carer by Séana McKev
Caring by Doreen Martin
Daniel by Daniel Cosgrave
My Caring Role by Rosetta Martin
Caitriona by Caitriona Cosgrave
Karma by Kerry Mackin
by Saoirse Maguire age 9
My brother can't hop skip or play
Like we all do everyday
But my brother and I can play games in our heads
At night as I lie him on his very special bed
We fly up inot space
With a grin upon his face
We speed along in his purple rocket
The moon gives us a wink
And Fiachra gives a blink
To say goodnight to the man in the moon
'Don't worry' I said
As I lay him to bed
We'll see him again very soon
by Anthony McDonnell age 12
C Is for care I help to give
A Is for Anthony my name it is
O Is for Order we need each day
I Is for involvement in all her play
M Is for meals I help to make
H Is for honour it has been
E Is for enjoyment of our little queen
by Daniel Morris age 14
I am a yong carer and proud to be loking after my mummy
She moans and groans with aches and pains but me a young carer never complains
I make the tea and even her ed and even rap bandages round her head
The young carers is great for getting away with riends and leaders we
have a great day
When we come home we start caring again until Anne-Marie and Kethleen
takes us away again
Caring for others is so much fun even young carers can have fun
The trips are great the weekends better and we get to wear the young carers
sweater
AnneMarie s the joker, Kathleen is more modest but we don't care because
we know their honest
I would like to end with a big T fo all the young carers have done for
me
Thanks carers
by Daniel Morris age 14
Us carers care for someone like you who moan and shout
with nothing better to do
We never complain to people like you because were young carers and that's
what we do
Our job is to help and never complain because we can see your pain
When we leave you to go on a trip you send us packing without a tip
Us young carers don't stop thinking of you because we all love you
So gve us a ring or come on down because us carers are ready to take on
the town.
by Daniel Morris age 14
On the moon you see his face the child of beauty and
of grace
A child that has been gone for such a long time
The reflection is fading day by day
A mother watches from down below thinking of how the child might grow.
by Aoife McDonnell age 9
I care for Caoimhe by helping Mammy do stuff like taking
her down the staris and up the stairs.
I feed her bottles to her and I also change her nappy
I play with her I mess with her
I also jig about with her
Her name is Caoimhe McDonnell.
By Laoise McDonnell age 8
I care about Caoimhe by helping Mammy to dress Caoimhe
Sometimes I feed Caoimhe and sometimes I change her nappy
And I bring her up and down the stairs and I put on her mobile with her
song
I Love you Caoimhe.
by Sean Evans
Jonathan
Crying
Begging
Sobbing
Eating
Crawling
Walking
Fighting
Feeding
Loving
MY LITTLE BROTHER
by Séana McKev
We care for our fathers
Care for our mothers
Wishing our parents well
We care for our sisters
Care for our brothers
Caring for you the one I love
When you sit there dressing
Counting your blessings
We are caring for our families
This ones for all the young carers
Who are my best friends
They are the best like better than the rest
This ones for our leader
She points us in the right direction
She keeps us safe and right
You make our days turn bright
Our friends support us
With having a member in
Our family with disabilities
We are truly blessed
And they are better than the rest
And I love every moment being a young carer.
by Doreen Martin
My name is Doreen and I care for Jimmy. Jimmy is my great-uncle - he has white hair. I have to be careful where I put things because Jimmy can't see that well. Jimmy has hardly any teeth so he finds it hard to eat. So we hve to be careful we con't give him hard sweets. Jimmy is kind to me and I am kind to him.
I go to the shop for him and I do other things for him. Every morning when Jimmy gets up he has to take tablets when he gets down the stairs. I give things to Jimmy and Jimmy gives things to me. Jimmy tells me thngs and I tell him things.
by Daniel Cosgrave
My name is Daniel Cosgrave and I am fifteen years old. I have two brothers one of which has been diagnosed with ADHD and is now being assessed for Autism and one sister. This disability is hard to deal with it's as if Peter-James is two different kids at times he can be very loving and sometimes he is unbearable. I help to care for him by spending time with him taking him out for short walks and he loves to take the dog for a walk. Although this might seem very ordinary to you this might not always be possible. Peter-James doesn't understand danger he runs towards the road a lot and does a lot of dangerous things like climbing walls and if he got the key to the back gate he would let himself out and wander away. He is quite a handful and you always have to watch him closely.
Sometimes it is very hard coping with him when he's having a bad day medication is helpful but not a cure. In good form he enjoys watching the Simpson's with me but I must say its nice to get away from'did you see Peter-James' or him squealing so loud I cann't hear myself think. Since we were introduced to the young carers project things like trips, weekends away and the latest the art project have been so enjoyable, meeting new friends, kids that are just like me needing time out. Is fantastic and something to look forward too. The project workers are a great support fun, full of energy and we always have a good time and a laugh that gets me through being a carer for Peter-James.
by Rosetta Martin
My name is Rosetta. I care for my great-uncle Jimmy. He has been ill for quite a while and recently he has lost his sight.
I think the Newry and Mourne carers help a lot because when you go away for daytrips or even for weekends it helps to get your mind of things and it is really enjoyable. You always know that if you have any problems at home that you can talk to one of the leaders about it.
Being a young carer lets me make lots of new friends and it also lets me explore places that I have never been at before. My great-uncle is very kind and he always tells me stories about himself when he was younger and things that happened him when he went to school.
I enjoy caring for Jimmy because when I was younger he cared for me and took me for walks and was very kind to me so now that he is ill it is my turn to look after him.
I don't fall behind in any of my school work and I go to school most days and I still socialise and go out as much as I always did with my mates, but it is difficult to bring any of my friends over to stay at my house because I don't like to disturb Jimmy cause he usually gets quite tired in the evenings and doesn't feel well so he goes to bed early.
I would rather care for jimmy and look after him because he is one of the nicest, kindest person I have ever known.
by Caitriona Cosgrave
My name is Caitriona Cosgrave. I am thirteen years old. I enjoy being a young carer, especially now because of the young carers project enabling me to have time out of our family situation, meeting new friends, having lots of fun and getting places this is like an award for me or a treat
I help care for my young brother Peter-James, he has been diagnosed with ADHD which means he is always on the move, he is unpredictable he might throw things at me or hit me but he doesn't really understand right from wrong and now the doctors think he's Autistic so he is being assessed at the moment. Despie all these problems he is a great little brother and I wouldn't be without him. Sometimes I take him out for to play ball or maybe for a short walk he loves Sheba that's my dog so I take him with me for a little walk around carnagh park.
Sometimes I find it hard helping to care for him, embarrassed when he creates a scene infront of my friends or in the shopping centre. I would love to have a wish that he would be good like all little brothers but Peter-James is special to me and I always will help care for him in any way I can because I love him very much.
by Kerry Mackin
We should take the time to understand
Why we should give a helping hand
To all the people that are out there
Who genuinely do, need our care
The sick, the sad, the insecure
We should try and half their problems endured
All it takes is a little time
For the needs, any amount of comfort would be fine
A walk to the shop, a stroll in the park
Any of these would warm their hearts
A rap on the door, a ring on the bell
Just to make sure they are well
For all those people who are not quite able
To make thrie dreams come true
We can give a little love and tenderness
To wash away their blues
So take the time to reflect
On precious memories shared
With all the people in the worls
Who needed our love and care
We give them hope, so they can cope
In this cruel world of ours
So find time in your life to share
Give others your heart, your love and your care.