Sheffield charity works to tackle isolation and digital poverty among young people

A Sheffield charity is working towards tackling isolation among young people, especially carers, during this difficult time.
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Research shows at least one in five secondary school pupils are young carers, helping look after someone at home who has a disability, an illness, a mental health condition or a drug or alcohol problem.

And independent charity Sheffield Young Carers says lockdown is having a real impact on these children, with many of them unable to take a break from their caring and missing out on the support and distraction that school provides.

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It's key of the door as neighbours play bingo outside in a Sheffield street
Help is at hand for young carers during lockdownHelp is at hand for young carers during lockdown
Help is at hand for young carers during lockdown
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Other problems include the lack of free meals many of these youngsters often receive at school and also a lack of access to the digital world.

Sheffield Young Carers said that at the start of lockdown, a third of the young people it supported did not have the right digital equipment to be able to do their school work from home.

A spokesman said: “One family did not even have any paper and pens to write or draw with.

“To address this serious issue, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, one of the UK's largest independent grant-giving organisations, supplied Sheffield Young Carers with an emergency grant to provide young carers with laptops and Wi-Fi access.”

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With this money, plus help from Sheffield technology company Millgate, the charity was able to equip 30 young people with the laptops and mobile Wi-Fi access they needed to do their school work and stay connected with family and friends.

The spokesman said: “Sheffield Young Carers continues to provide young people and families with remote support by text, phone and group video chats, as well as linking them in to other vital services.

“However, with much of the support available to families during the pandemic being offered online, the issue of digital poverty in our city presents a very serious challenge.

“Some families with several children have been trying to manage school work on a single mobile phone. Having little or no digital access has also compounded young carers’ isolation from their friends.”

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