On Sunday 24th October 2021 Constantia Care staff participated in Lee Valleys White Water Rafting experience! This was the epic setting for some of the most exhilarating scenes during the 2012 London Olympics.
For months the team has been seeking donations via a a justgiving page and also raised funds recently through a bake sale held at the Constantia Care Offices. The event was held to launch the Constantia Care Charity to help fund vital care training for young carers who are caring for loved ones at home.
A staff bake sale, assisted by Adam, the eldest son of our accounts manager Emma raised a massive £174.87 in the days preceeding the rafting experience.
Set in River Lee Country Park, this unique visitor destination in Hertfordshire is easily accessible from London and offers a range of water activities including white water rafting, hydrospeeding, inflatable fun on the lake, canoeing and kayaking and much more!
Our team of care staff descended on the white water rafting experience with a mixed sense of excitement, fear and trepidation. Aided by the fantastic course staff they all had a great time on the water and we were pleased to have been able to exceed our fundraising target of £1490.00 by £19.00!
The Importance of Young Carers
- The 2011 Census identified 177,918 young carers in England and Wales. One in eight of those were aged under eight.
- This is widely believed to be the tip of the iceberg, with some estimates suggesting that as many as one in five schoolchildren are young carers (University of Nottingham 2018), with this number increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The money raised as result of the fundraising exploits of the team will fund training for young carers, delivered by Constantia Care Training, our accredited training company within in our dedicated facility within our New Southgate offices.
As part of this training, Young Carers from Barnet Young Carers will learn safe manual handling, basic first aid, stroke response and be able to complete the care certificate with our assistance. Any specific specialist training required will be identified, addressed and delivered.
We truly believe it is vital for us to invest in our future generation and give them the confidence and support they need. This is just the start of what we believe will be a very rewarding and useful support service to Young Carers both in Barnet and hopefully, in the future, beyond.
Being a young carer can have a big impact on the things that are important to growing up
Young carers are already likely to have significantly lower educational attainment at GCSE level than their peers (The Children’s Society, 2013).
The COVID-19 pandemic risks exacerbating the situation, stopping young carers from reaching their full potential.
With the added complications of COVID-19, young carers are missing even more school than before and urgent support is needed if they are not to be left behind their peers.
Caring can have a dramatic detrimental effect on the education and aspirations of young and young adult carers, so urgent support is essential.
