Celebrating Elektra: A Welsh Champion for Young Carers

At Carmarthenshire Crossroads Young Carer Service, we are incredibly proud to share the achievements of one of our remarkable young people, Elektra. Her journey and dedication have been nothing short of inspiring, and we are thrilled to celebrate her recent accomplishments.

Elektra recently represented Carers Trust Wales at the UK’s Young Carers Alliance meeting. Despite the fact that Welsh schools don’t break up for half term until next week, Elektra managed to balance her school commitments while participating in this significant event. Her ability to juggle these responsibilities is a testament to her resilience and dedication.

Raising Awareness and Advocacy

During the event, Elektra spoke passionately about the challenges young carers face, particularly the lack of recognition. She shared her personal experience of not realizing she was a young carer herself until she joined our project in September last year. This often happens when someone has cared for another family member all their life; self-identification is not necessarily obvious. Since then, Elektra has become a powerful advocate for young carers, raising awareness and pushing for recognition to achieve better support and outcomes for her peers.

Elektra’s personal qualities have shone brightly as she stepped up to join Wales’ Young Carers’ Youth Council. Additionally, she has put herself forward to represent young carers at the Welsh Youth Parliament, accountable to young people in Wales and established by the Senedd. Both forums embrace the youth work ethos of youth advocacy,  representation, awareness and recognition, partnerships and policy influence.  Her involvement in these national level forums highlights her commitment to making a difference and ensuring young carers’ voices are heard at the highest levels.

A source of pride

In the short span of time Elektra has been supported by Carmarthenshire Crossroads Young Carers, Elektra has achieved so much. She is driving forward the agenda of getting young carers recognised and has worked to further support for young carers in education. One of her significant contributions is advocating for the adoption of the Young Carer’s ID Card and its associated advantages.

Carmarthenshire Crossroads Young Carers is incredibly proud of Elektra and how she manages her caring role alongside her busy social life, academic studies and advocacy work. Elektra is a champion of hope and inspiration for other young carers in our community. We look forward to seeing her continue to shine and make a positive impact.

Thank you, Elektra, for your unwavering dedication and for being a strong voice for young carers everywhere. Your achievements remind us all of the power of resilience and the importance of support and recognition for young carers.

Reach out for support

We hope Elektra’s story inspires others to recognise and support the young carers in their lives. If you would like to learn more about our services or get involved, please contact youngcarers@ctcww.org.uk or call 0300 0200 002