Eastleigh Young Carers Project provides support for any young person 8 -18 years old within the Eastleigh Borough whose life is significantly affected by caring for a family member in their home, who has an illness, disability, mental health or substance misuse problem. We aim to support them to access respite activities, develop coping mechanisms, build resilience, improve their wellbeing, improve their confidence, improve their self-esteem, as well as building meaningful connections with other young carers and the world around them.
A key tool for us throughout our support aims is nature. We enable young people to be in safe, supportive outdoor environments so that they can experience the benefits on their mental, physical and spiritual health.
We bring groups to Hazel Hill Wood several times a year. We give them a chance to connect with and be nurtured by nature, while getting some much needed respite. They do not always get these opportunities with their families as it can be hard for them to get out with them for varying different reasons relating to their caring roles.
Young carers are an extremely vulnerable group and experience higher risks of exploitation, abuse, mental health struggles and more. 42% of young carers or adult carers ‘always’ or ‘usually’ feel stressed and 1 in 3 young carers have a mental health issue. 23% of young carers in the UK also said that their caring role had stopped them making friends. Coming to Hazel Hill Wood gives them the chance to be immersed safely in nature, giving them the opportunity to gain respite from their stressful caring roles, to de-stress, as well as make friends with people and nature.
The woodland provides them with opportunities for adventure, time to be a child, calm, tranquillity, and a chance to really connect with nature. There are opportunities to learn valuable life skills, practical conservation, bushcraft, well-being techniques, and all about the natural world, whilst having fun and feeling free.
Access to opportunities like this are extremely beneficial and transformative to everyone, but are especially important for vulnerable young people who may not get the chance to thrive and reset in spaces like this. The young carers who have come to Hazel Hill with us always leave smiling, lightened, and connected to nature. They feel that their troubles and difficulties melt away whilst they are in the wood and that feeling stays with them for some time after. A large proportion of the young carers that have experienced Hazel Hill, find themselves looking to access the natural spaces around them more frequently and are eager to take part in other nature-based activities.
It’s always a pleasure to watch their confidence and self-esteem bloom as they are given a chance to remember that they are important and all have their place in the world. There is so much to learn about themselves, it’s hard to put the magic of being there into words, you just have to experience it and you’ll see.
Things our young people have said to us about Hazel Hill:
● I feel calm when I’m at hazel hill.
● I like the freedom I get when I’m in the woods.
● I love playing silly games in the woods.
● I like it when Charley helps us for the day.
● It’s really beautiful at Hazel Hill.
● When are we going back to Hazel Hill?
● I like it when we can forage for things we can eat at Hazel Hill.
● Can we stay at Hazel Hill for a night again?
We love bringing our young people to Hazel Hill, and over the years, we have been lucky enough to benefit from a subsidised rate, which enables us to bring groups several times a year, opportunities our charity would not be able to provide without the discounted rate. We wish we had the funds to do longer residentials as we believe an extended stay would be even more transformative, with wider reaching benefits.
Kay Burton and Leia Burton, Eastleigh Young Carers.