Sense Siblings and Young Carers

This month, the Birmingham gang was lucky enough to be joined by the Dinosaur, Wildlife, and Education Centre (DWAEC), where we had our very own handler, Steve!

Together with Steve's knowledge and skills, we were shown not 1 but 2 friendly slithery Snakes and some furry friends like the Meerkat and Genet. We were even shown how to fly an Owl from one side of the room to another!

Well done to all of the brave young people who attended, we most definitely learned some new information about these amazing creatures. Check out the pictures and videos below to see what other animals we handled...

July's B'ham SYC Activity saw the gang get geared up for Laser Conflict Outdoor laser tag! Together in our groups, we ran, hid, and aimed, hoping for a win; in the end the Green team took the victory, but fun was had by everyone!

Roll up roll up the circus came to Birmingham! Zoë Deleata, the certified clown of Aspire Dance, brought us plenty of fun tips and tricks to learn.

With seven years of experience in aerial performance, she delighted us by exploring various circus apparatus, with the flower sticks holding a special place in her heart. Zoë and the group learnt some impressive circus talents, including juggling, poi, hula hoop, plate spinning, and more.

Thomas and Oliver met when they were buddied up on Sense Siblings and Young Carers almost 2 years ago.

They started their friendship remotely, catching up regularly and doing fun activities over Zoom – we heard they have a love for gaming together!

Recently, they met up in person to join an online young carers’ baking session – for once from the same kitchen!

They made plenty of lemon jammy dodgers, and of course they made sure chocolate was involved too.

Unforgettable memories and friendships made on the Sense Siblings and Young Carers residential trip!

The Loughborough Siblings and Young Carers Group fully embraced the Disney spirit for our All Things Disney Day! In one activity, we had a lovely time decorating our cupcakes into Disney characters. What theme could we go for next?

Have you booked your tickets for some of next month's virtual fun? In March, you could master your drama skills, get stuck into arts and crafts activities with a professional and meet some animals and educators from Chester Zoo!

You're not part of the project? Follow this link to make a referral for yourself or on behalf of someone else: https://www.sense.org.uk/.../support-for-young-carers.../

Our last Siblings and Young Carers day out in Loughborough was jam-packed! The group wrapped up warm and set off on an exciting Detective Treasure Hunt around the town.

Once their detective mission was over, they got to kick back with a cinema trip to see Wish – and get through plenty of popcorn! We can’t wait to see what they get up to next.

Tomorrow, the Siblings and Young Carers Birmingham group will be revisiting their adventures in the world of bow and arrow!

At the Bear Grylls Adventure centre, the gang will team up with the friends they’ve made on the programme to give it their best shot. They’re hoping it’ll be a bull’s eye!

Did someone say Pizza Party?! That's exactly what the B'ham Siblings and Young Carers got up to last Saturday at Touch Base Pears.

The Loughborough Siblings and Young Carers group has come such a long way since we started in September 2023! With our group now supporting 16 young people, we are growing and growing.

However, there are still so many siblings and young carers out there that we are yet to reach! Join our free and fun project today!

To get started, use the link on our flyer and the link on our page.

I am delighted to hear that Sense are expanding their Siblings and Young Carers Project to Loughborough this autumn.

The project will offer free in-person community groups and fun activities for young people aged 5-18 who have a parent or sibling with a disability.

There will also be virtual activities and wellbeing sessions, as well as a ‘buddying’ system to pair up and build friendships between participants with similar interests.

You can find more information here: www.sense.org.uk/our-services/support-for-children/support-for-young-carers-and-siblings

Last week, our young chefs were busy cooking up cheesy macaroni bakes with the help of Alpha Bake Cookery. Yum!

"Thank you so much for this weekend's cooking with Carole. The pasta bake was amazing!" - Parent

Brrr! At our Birmingham Siblings and Young Carers group on Saturday, we wrapped up warm and got our skates on for fun at Planet Ice.

Well done to those who attended the Physical 1st Aid Course last month with St John Ambulance. Today they were awarded their certificates!

On Saturday, we were on hand for our young people feeling peckish and festive! How delicious do our Snowman Cupcakes look?! The question is to share or not share?? Yum!

At our B'ham face-to-face session, thanks to St John Ambulance, our young people took part in a Physical 1st Aid Taster Course. Well done to all those who attended!

The APPG inquiry's first recommendation is the urgent need for a National Carers Strategy. Young carers need dedicated staff to support their needs, access to dedicated support and improved access to financial support

More on recommendations: https://bit.ly/44B7yyu

On the Siblings and Young Carers Project, we’ve loved meeting up for our monthly face-to-face events in Birmingham and Bristol – we’ve solved riddles to get out of escape rooms, scaled climbing walls, and bowled strikes!

And that’s not all… our monthly meetups are coming to Loughborough from the 25th of November! There’s plenty of fun in store, as each month we’ll gather at the Sense Hub or head out into the community to try something new.

A call for young carers and young adult carers:

Do you think there needs to be more support for young carers? If YES - then why not add your name to a letter from young carers and young adult carers to the Prime Minister asking for him to show his support - https://carers.org/young-carers-alliance/pm-open-letter-october-2023

The deadline for adding signatures to the letter is Sunday 10th November

Sign our open letter calling for better support for young carers We use cookies, which are small text files, to improve your experience on our website.You can allow or reject non essential cookies or manage them individually.

Birmingham's October face-to-face activity on Saturday was a hit. We enjoyed Hocus Pocus and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Popcorn, Halloween sweets, and treats were on flow too. Our young people had plenty of arts and crafts to get stuck into as well. The blue lighting definitely got us in the the spooky spirit for our movie!

October is already well underway but there is still time to book your tickets for some of this month's virtual fun! Science Experiments, Let's Talk about...World Mental Health Day for Young Carers, crafts and more!
You're not part of the project? Follow this link to make a referral for yourself or on behalf of someone else: https://www.sense.org.uk/.../support-for-young-carers.../

Black History Month is here! On the Siblings and Young Carers Project, we have kicked off the month by hosting 3 Black History Month Book Clubs for our young people, celebrating black authors, protagonists, and important figures.

Last week each group voted for the book they wanted us to send them and have already begun reading, ready to share their thoughts at the end of the month.

Looking for inspiration for a young person's reading list this month? Take a look at what our groups picked for their read!

Age 7-9: Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels by Tọlá Okogwu

Age 10-12: Black in Time: The Most Awesome Black Britons from Yesterday to Today by Alison Hammond

Age 13+: Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam

Later this month, our group will be voting for a film to watch in our Black History Month Film Night. We can't wait!

Family carers of disabled people do an incredible job providing round-the-clock care to their disabled loved ones. But providing care without any time out can be exhausting.

1 in 5 carers can’t remember the last time they had a break. Families are facing a constant battle to secure the support they need.

Join us in calling for more support for family carers. Add your name and help give carers the break they need --

Give carers a break: will you demand action? Add your name to show your support for people caring for family members.

September is already well underway but there is still time to book your tickets for some of this month's virtual fun! Karate, cooking, crafts and more!
You're not part of the project? Follow this link to make a referral for yourself or on behalf of someone else: https://www.sense.org.uk/our-services/support-for-children/support-for-young-carers-and-siblings/

Hello everyone!

We wanted to send a belated well done to any of our young people who may have received exam results last week.

Congratulations if these were what you expected. If not, then well done none the less. Please remember sometimes not getting what we expected can be a blessing in disguise. It often leads to opportunities that you may not have considered before.

All the best,
The Sibs Team!

We escaped! This month our West Mid's gang put their heads together to escape themed rooms at Escape Hunt Birmingham. With only 60 minutes to find and solve all the hidden clues, Team Aladdin escaped first, followed by Team Wild West and Team Alice in Puzzle Land not far behind.

After our escaping adventures, we enjoyed some down time with several rounds of Dobble, mini Jenga, and activity packs from Escape Hunt. We wrapped up the fun with a big group card game!

Our Birmingham face-to-face events take place every month - we can't wait for the next one!

Yet another example of how rubbish weather cannot dampen the spirits of our amazing Bristol group!

We visited West Country Water Park this weekend to have a go at the inflatable Aqua Park. The course tested our resilience, perseverance, and bravery – and every young person smashed the test! I watched as young people leapt from great heights, overcame their fears, and helped one another. Though many attendees were new to the group, and new to the project, by the time we were having our hot chocolate, it was as though these amazing young people had known each other forever.

Karate, Foraged Arts, Cooking sessions and Let's Talk about Autism are just a few of the exciting sessions we have coming up in August.

If you are a sibling or young carer, join the project to sign up to your favourite sessions!

Our Bristol face-to-face group enjoyed a water themed outing this weekend!

We first went to Bristol Aquarium to check out their huge variety of aquatic life. We spotted clown fish, sharks, jellyfish, blue tangs, crabs and even the tentacles of the elusive octopus! Afterwards, en route to the park, we spotted the pop-up cycle cinema at the College Green. This is a cinema powered by... you guessed it, people riding bikes! The rain didn’t stop our young people from wanting to take part.