Rachel is a young carer who cares for her mother who has bi-polar disorder. She has cared for her Mum since she was 10 and describes how this affected her life when she was younger.
Now, Rachel is at University but still caring for her mum, but through support from the Dundee Project she has developed confidence and is now much more capable of coping with her caring role and still achieving all of her own goals.
She has also developed a role in consultation and bringing about change across Scotland for young carers. She has numerous examples of how she has demonstrated leadership qualities – not just in terms of her own development but for the wider benefit of others.
She has worked with MSPs to write the young carers’ strategy for Scotland and she has given presentations to the Cross Party Group. She has also ensured that young carers’ issues were written into party manifestos for the election.
She also went to Dublin to speak to the Irish Parliament at a major national conference. This was a high point for her personally - it helped her develop her own potential and skills. It also helped to influence the development of a young carers’ strategy for Ireland in the process.
Rachel is an insightful, articulate and bright young person who is captivating in her optimistic and positive outlook on life.
“it is OK to be a young carer and not have a label”
“Young carers don’t need help; they need a voice”
The User and Carer Forum think that Rachel who is a Dundee Young Carer is a good example of these citizen leadership principles:
- 2. Development
- Development doesn’t just mean training. Rachel developed her confidence and got some good ideas by going to a conference
- 6. Equality
- Rachel is motivated by the unfair treatment young carers sometimes get, and she tries to put this right
- 8. Wider Benefit
- Developing a young carers’ strategy for Scotland will help hundreds of young people across the country
