REAL STORIES

When young adult carer Eloise first turned to Centre 33, she was 18 and supporting both her parents with complex health needs including small vessel disease, epilepsy and hearing and sight impairments. She felt isolated and unhappy. She talks in detail about how she was feeling here.

After 18 months of support through our young adult carers pilot project, Eloise has returned to mainstream education for the first time in 11 years, started a part-time job and formed a close circle of friends. Her life, she says, is unrecognisable, her outlook on the future much brighter. Watch her story here.

Ari was 16 and sofa surfing when she came to Centre 33 for support. Her situation was impacting her mental health, and she had started self-harming. Walking into Centre 33 felt like "being wrapped in a warm hug". We helped Ari apply for hostels and fill in forms to find housing, supported her with budgeting and gave her a safe space to talk in counselling sessions. She tells her moving story in the video here.

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Twelve-year-old young carer Arthur looks after his brothers Finley and Harrison, who have a rare degenerative and life-limiting condition called Batten disease. He helps with day-to-day tasks like getting the boys ready for school, dinner and bed, preparing meals and brushing their teeth, but he's also their go-to when they need someone to talk to.

Arthur loves helping his brothers, but it isn't always easy. His Centre 33 project worker Amanda gave him a space to talk about his worries and feelings, meet other young carers and navigate his move to secondary school. His mum says he has flourished ever since, and Arthur says Centre 33 created a space that's just about him.

In this video, we hear the stories of three young people who turned to Centre 33 while facing different challenges, including being kicked out of home, exam stress, mental health and their caring role.