YMCA Fairthorne Group's Young Carers Festival 2026 gives children fun friendship and freedom
Young carers enjoy weekend of outdoor adventures
Over 1,000 young carers have experienced a weekend of outdoor adventures, live music and creative workshops as they got the chance to be children for three days.
The carers, aged between 11 and 17, attended the Young Carers Festival at YMCA Fairthorne enabling them to meet their peers who understand their day-to-day lives and the issues they face.
A YMCA Fairthorne spokesperson said: “Activities across the weekend spanned four core themes: outdoor adventure and team challenges, friendship and connection, creative and music-based workshops, and opportunities for voice and advocacy, giving young carers the chance to be heard by the people who make decisions about their lives.
“The festival was delivered with the support of more than 250 volunteers – including YMCA Fairthorne Group staff, local community members and corporate teams – who together gave over 1,500 hours of their time across the event week, putting up tents, cooking thousands of meals and running activities throughout the weekend.
“In England alone there are 120,000 registered young carers aged between 5 and 17, who are seven times more likely to become NEET (not in education, employment or training) than their peers. For many, the Young Carers Festival is the one weekend of the year where someone finally asks how they are, and waits for the answer.”
Following the successful weekend, plans are already being formulated for the Young Carers Festival 2027 with YMCA Fairthorne aiming to make it the biggest and most accessible festival in its history. This includes funding for more bursary places so that children will be able to attend without cost being a barrier.
The organisation is seeking corporate sponsors and major donors to fund festival places, travel costs, corporate volunteer teams, in-kind supporters able to donate food, equipment and materials.