Sailing in support of young carers

The chair of Friends of Young Carers in Bath and North East Somerset, Peter Blair, will be embarking on an epic 8-week sailing expedition this month to raise much-needed funds for young carers in the local community.

Peter will set sail on 22 May 2022 from Cowes in the Isle of Wight and his journey will take him all the way to the Outer Hebrides and back - visiting all five of the nations of the British Isles along the way!

Formed in 2007, Friends of Young Carers is a local organisation run entirely by volunteers who, like ourselves, strive to raise awareness and funds for young people who provide care for a family member at home.

It's estimated there a staggering 800,000 young carers in the UK, with an average of six young carers in every secondary school classroom. Due to their responsibilities at home, young carers often feel worried, lonely and miss out on the things that other children may take for granted.

Katherine Lauder, a committee member from Friends of Young Carers said:

"We aim to raise awareness and funds for the young unsung heroes of our community. The sad reality is that there are very many young people who are young carers, and who often feel overwhelmed, tired, alone, and that they must not let those around them down.

We want more children to access the support they so desperately need, as well as funds so that young carers who have significant responsibilities for a parent or sibling can enjoy fun activities, emotional support in safe spaces and be provided with grants to open the door to opportunities that would otherwise not be available. We are all very excited about Peter’s expedition and hope that this will raise significant and desperately needed funds."

Stay tuned and donate

To keep everyone posted while he sails the seas, Peter has set up this website where you can watch stories on his entertaining vlog. You can also make a donation on his Just Giving page.

Everyone at The Carers' Centre wishes Peter all the best and we look forward to seeing the updates from the journey!

Bon voyage!