“I feel that my caring experience helps me support other carers”

1st June 22

Volunteer TomTom volunteers with our Norfolk Young Carers Forum. The forum gives young carers and young adult carers the opportunity to raise awareness and make a difference on the issues that affect them and their families.

As a young adult carer to his mum who has a physical disability, he brings a wealth of experience to his volunteering role.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you first came into contact with Caring Together?

I am a carer for my mum and I am came into contact with Caring Together through their carers group. I then joined their Norfolk Young Carers Forum.

What was it that led to you volunteering with Caring Together and what is your role?

I started volunteering with the charity’s Norfolk Young Carers Forum after seeing and experiencing the positive impact it had on the young carers and young adult carers who are members of the forum, and the work they produced with various other groups and organisations.

My role is to help facilitate the forum’s group sessions and the carer awareness training sessions to health and education organisations. I join Caring Together’s awareness team on the training sessions which help the organisations identify and support carers.

What difference do you feel your volunteer role has made to you? What difference do you feel your volunteer role has made to others?

Being a volunteer for Caring Together has help me to gain confidence in myself. I also feel that my lived experienced of caring has helped me support the growth of other carers as well as helping to ensure that hidden carers are identified and supported earlier.

Volunteer with caring Together

Jane volunteer coordinatorIf you would like to join Tom and help change lives of carers in your community, get in touch. You can call Jane, our volunteer co-ordinator, on 07843 327485 or email [email protected]

Jane will be happy to tell you about the variety of exciting volunteering opportunities across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.

Click here to find out more about our volunteering opportunities.