The level of support for carers at Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion is one of the driving forces of the colleges’ learner support teams.
As a group of highly skilled, nurturing and experienced staff who support students over seven campuses, supporting Carers Week was paramount to this caring team who put in place a week’s worth of celebrations.
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK.
Both colleges provide support for many students and staff who have caring responsibilities in addition to their studies and employment.
Carers Week at the colleges included an online celebration which included self portraits of staff and students expressing thoughts such as loneliness and appreciation, a quiz to highlight what a caring role involves, a video montage of staff and students clapping for carers.
A significant amount of resource was also supplied including Investors in Carers Scheme, County Carers Information Service, information for young adult carers, carer statistics including the 25 percent of students who don’t inform their colleges of their circumstances, advice for carers during Covid19 and resources designed to support the colleges learner support tutorial programme.
Matthew Morgan, learner support mentor coordinator at Coleg Sir Gâr said:
“The unseen work of unpaid carers will hopefully highlight the campaign and work undertaken for family and loved ones and also allow a better insight to the support networks available at college for staff and students.”
Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion have taken pride in achieving the Investors in Carers Bronze Award and have already taken steps towards the silver award with allocated care leads being provided across all campuses.
The colleges also run a young carers group which student Charlie Kinchington heads, he said:
“The group helps us be ourselves in a place where we have to put on a brave face and where we can talk about all our troubles and just relax for a while.”
Young carers from local schools have, in recent times, been welcomed into college where Carmarthenshire Young Adult Carers (YAC) offered support and information, to show that they will be supported as students.
Lecturer Suzanne Mountfield-Rees added:
“It has been a pleasure to contribute to Carers Week.
“As a carer myself, I feel that it is important to recognise the invaluable role that carers play in people’s lives.
“Being a carer is rewarding, but it can often present challenges so the information and support that has been shared during this week has been incredibly beneficial to me.”
Visit: Coleg Sir Gar and Coleg Ceredigion
