Young carers from across Somerset have teamed up with Boomsatsuma’s Create Agency Content Creation trainees to produce an inspiring new awareness film sharing the realities of balancing childhood with caring responsibilities.
The project, titled Small Shoulders: when childhood carries more than it should by the trainees, brought together 16 young carers aged between five and 18 who are supported through the county’s Young Carers in Schools (YCiS) programme.
Funded by Somerset Community Foundation, the collaboration involved Youth Unlimited, Somerset Schools’ Young Carers’ Leads network and boomsatsuma’s Bristol-based Create Agency.
For Boomsatsuma’s trainee creatives, it was a valuable opportunity to gain real-world production experience while contributing to an important social cause.
Filming took place over two days at Northgate Primary School in Bridgwater and St Margaret’s CEVA near Frome, following a series of hands-on workshops led by Boomsatsuma.
Trainee crew members from Create Agency worked alongside school staff, multidisciplinary professionals and the young carers themselves to capture their stories on film.
Young carers are children and young people under 18 who help care for a family member affected by illness, disability, mental health conditions or addiction.
The project gave young carers the opportunity to share their worries, hopes, dreams and aspirations, while helping to raise awareness of the challenges many young people face behind closed doors.
Michelle Palmer, Somerset’s Young Carers in Schools Project Coordinator, said: “It was an honour and privilege to facilitate this project on behalf of Young Carers in Schools.
“It is so humbling and inspiring to be able to share this experience with so many young carers and to showcase the incredible work that our schools are doing.
“By sharing their own personal stories, these extraordinary young people will leave a lasting legacy that will help to raise awareness of the invaluable role that our young carers play.”
The Young Carers in Schools award, run nationally by The Children’s Society and Carers Trust, supports schools to better identify and support young carers through practical tools, guidance and training.
The film aims to help schools, families and communities better understand the pressures young carers experience and the importance of early support.
The finished film, Small Shoulders: when childhood carries more than it should, is now available to watch online below.
