As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to the incredible volunteers who give their time, skills and experience to support unpaid carers across Kingston.

Our volunteers support carers in many different ways. From preparing meals for young carers at group activities to being the first voice a carer might hear when they call our office, they provide practical support, a listening ear and a warm welcome to carers across Kingston.

This year’s volunteer survey highlighted the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. Nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) have volunteered with Kingston Carers Network for more than three years.

Our volunteers highlighted the positive impact volunteering has on them, helping them to build confidence, develop skills, improve wellbeing and make new connections. One volunteer shared:

“As a young carer myself, I met amazing volunteers offering their free time to provide many fun events. Now being a trustee, I am able to give my time back to support young carers and also, it has allowed me to gain more experience in finance, governance and confidence building.”

Others reflected:

"Volunteering contributes to me keeping faith in human beings. It is important to be reminded and see the positive impacts of helping one another. I appreciate also the lovely social opportunities of meeting with people, and I gained confidence and skills that I would probably not have developed more otherwise (like cooking for 30+ people!).”

“Volunteering has helped me become more confident and improve my communication skills. It has made me more patient and understanding towards others. I also feel proud knowing that I am helping people and making a positive difference.”

Every volunteer who completed our survey said they were proud to volunteer with us, would recommend volunteering to others and felt their volunteering makes a positive difference to carers.

"This is the best charity I have volunteered for in terms of support."

Among the many volunteers making a difference are Chris and Jake.

Chris has volunteered as a mentor for more than a year, supporting a 14-year-old young carer who helps care for his mother, who lives with a rare condition. Together they have taken part in activities including rock climbing, mountain biking and gym sessions, while also developing independent travel skills. His young carer’s mother described Chris as “much more than a mentor”, adding that her son “would see him every single day if he could.”

Jake, one of our youngest volunteers and a former young carer, now gives back by supporting other young carers. During Mental Health Awareness Week, he delivered a powerful speech to our youth group, sharing his experiences and highlighting the importance of support for young carers.

We are also grateful to our Volunteers Coordinator, Jess, whose dedication helps ensure volunteers feel welcomed, supported and valued throughout their volunteering journey. Her commitment is reflected in this year’s survey, where 100% of volunteers who responded said they felt welcomed and valued as a volunteer.

To every volunteer who gives their time to Kingston Carers Network, thank you. Your kindness and commitment make a real difference to carers and their families every day.

If you’re interested in making a similar impact to Chris and Jake, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about our volunteering opportunities here. 

As part of the BBC’s Caring Matters Week, actor Natalie Cassidy, best known for playing Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, read Young Carers in Space on CBeebies Bedtime Stories on Monday 26 May. The episode is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and the CBeebies YouTube channel.

Created by illustrator and storyteller Ana Graça and the Young Carers Illustration Project, Young Carers in Space was developed in collaboration with primary school-aged young carers, including young carers supported by Kingston Carers Network.

Young carers are children and young people who look after or help care for a family member who may be living with illness, disability, mental health challenges or substance misuse.

Through interactive workshops with Ana, our young carers shared ideas that helped shape the story, characters and illustrations. Their experiences also helped inspire Honey, the book’s six-year-old main character, including choosing her name.

Young Carers in Space follows Honey as she travels into space with the help of a fairy while learning that she does not have to face challenges alone. At home, Honey helps care for her older brother and struggles to share her worries with her teacher at school. Along the way, she discovers other young carers like her and learns that support is available.

The Young Carers Illustration Project has now published two of Ana’s books and aims to increase representation of young carers in children’s literature, helping young children reflect on their own feelings and experiences. It believes that children’s literature has an important role in supporting better recognition of the needs of young carers, including very young children.

Young Carers in Space builds on the success of Young Carers in Bunnyland, which was also developed with input from our young carers. The original book was launched at our Dream Big event at Chessington World of Adventures in 2024.

Both books are now available free to download below, helping more children, families, schools and professionals access stories that reflect and celebrate the experiences of young carers.

Read the books

Download Young Carers in Bunnyland
Download Young Carers in Space

Learn more about the Young Carers Illustration Project and Ana Graca’s work

Young Carers in Schools Coordinator 

Location: Surbiton/London (with some Hybrid working) 

Salary: £36,691 

Hours: 36 hours 

Contract: 3-year fixed term 

Closing Date: Monday 15th June 

Interviews: W/C 22nd June 

About the Role 

Lead delivery of a schools programme supporting young carers and building partnerships across education settings. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Deliver programme 

• Build partnerships 

• Train staff 

• Improve outcomes 

• Report impact 

• Ensure safeguarding 

Targeted Support Worker 

Salary: £18,345 pro rata 

Hours: 18 hours per week 

Contract: Permanent 

About the Role 

Join our Young Carers Project supporting young people through one-to-one and group work to improve wellbeing and resilience. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide targeted support 

• Build relationships 

• Support wellbeing 

• Monitoring and outcomes 

• Maintain records 

• Follow safeguarding 

Both Roles:

Location: Surbiton/London (with some Hybrid working) 

Closing Date: Monday 15th June 

Interviews: W/C 22nd June 

Further Details & Applications here: Job opportunities

Make a difference to Young Carers in Kingston. 

Carers Week 2026 takes place from 8–14 June and we’re delighted to announce our programme of activities and events taking place across Kingston throughout the week. 
 
At Kingston Carers Network (KCN), we know that building carer friendly communities means more than raising awareness alone. It means creating opportunities for carers to access support, connect with others, focus on their wellbeing and feel recognised within their local community.  

With this year’s theme in mind, our Carers Week timetable brings together activities focused on health and wellbeing, community connection, practical support and helping Kingston become a more carer friendly borough. 

Across the week, carers will also be able to take part in a range of other activities and support sessions, which you can book here: 

• A coffee morning at Your Healthcare, Hollyfield House, where carers are welcome to drop in and speak with the Your Healthcare team and representatives from other organisations about support available to them
• A benefits and advice open-day at our office with our Benefits and Tribunal Representative, offering practical support around finances and entitlements
• Free health check-ups and wellbeing advice at our office with Kathy Wong, Health Engagement Officer at Kingston Voluntary Action
• A picnic at Hampton Court, giving carers the chance to relax, connect with others and enjoy a well-earned break from their caring responsibilities
• Free beauty and wellbeing treats kindly delivered by Kingston College students, after Kingston College reached out to show their support for local unpaid carers (now fully booked)

A highlight of the week will be a special partnership event with Carers UK and Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Kingston and Surbiton. The afternoon will focus on hearing directly from carers about what truly supportive communities look and feel like, alongside activities, refreshments and prizes donated by local businesses in recognition of carers and all they do.

Please note that due to overwhelming popularity, we are currently at capacity for this particular event, but will release more places if they become available. 

Our young carers groups will also be taking part in themed activities during the week, including a special yoga session led by Rebekah Arkle, founder of local yoga school All Shapes Yoga. Alongside this, KCN will be delivering school assemblies at local schools to help raise understanding of young carers, as many young people do not realise they are young carers or that support is available to them.

Carers Week is an important opportunity to celebrate carers, create understanding of the challenges many face and highlight the difference that supportive communities can make. Across Kingston, we want carers to feel recognised, valued and connected – not just during Carers Week, but on every day of the year.

Find out more about Carers Week 2026

Want to know more about how we can support you and always be the first to hear about upcoming activities and opportunities? Register with us today.

Kingston Carers Network (KCN) has been awarded £145,979 from The National Lottery Community Fund to expand support for young carers in schools across Kingston over the next three years.

The funding will help us launch a Young Carers in Schools project, supporting young carers to be identified earlier, feel safer asking for help and access the support they need to learn, develop and thrive.

Young carers are children and young people who help care for someone at home who may have a disability, long-term illness, mental health condition or substance misuse issue, all while balancing school and their own personal lives.

Over the next three years, we will work with Kingston secondary schools to help them identify and support young carers in their schools by expanding school-based peer support groups, providing 1:1 mentoring and young carer leadership opportunities.

By improving identification and support, we hope to help young carers feel more confident in school, improve attendance and participation, strengthen wellbeing and increase their sense of belonging, agency and aspirations for the future.

J is an 11-year-old young carer who has been recently supported through KCN’s Young Carers Project. When starting secondary school, she felt isolated and struggled with anxiety and friendship difficulties, often without anyone to sit with at lunch. 

Through our lunch clubs, mentoring and advocacy, J has now built friendships and grown in confidence, leading to significantly improved school attendance and a successful request for extra time completing assignments. J’s story demonstrates the impact of tailored support and reinforces the need to expand this work across more schools through a dedicated Young Carers in Schools project.

“We will work closely with schools to help staff better understand the needs of young carers, recognise potential signs that a student may be a young carer and feel more confident about what to do when a young person needs support,” said Klaire Osuji, our Young Carers Project Manager.

“We want young carers to feel safer and more confident disclosing their caring responsibilities and seeking support within school.”

The Young Carers in Schools project will be led by a new Young Carers in Schools Coordinator, a dedicated role focused on strengthening support for young carers across Kingston schools.

Rachael Stokes, our CEO, said: “We are incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund and to all National Lottery players for making this work possible. This investment will help us continue building a future where carers of all ages across Kingston are recognised, valued and supported to live and care well.”

Applications are now open for our new Young Carers in Schools Coordinator role. Find out more and apply here. 

During Mental Health Awareness Week, Kingston Carers Network (KCN) is highlighting the experiences of unpaid carers supporting someone with a mental health condition, alongside the importance of carers looking after their own wellbeing.

Many carers balance caring responsibilities alongside work, study and family life, often putting the needs of others first. We continue to provide tailored support, including a dedicated peer support group for carers supporting someone with a mental health condition.

The group is co-run with Kingston Mental Health Carers' Forum (KMHCF), a local organisation that provides support and advice for unpaid carers of people experiencing mental health difficulties, alongside respite activities, representation and campaigning work.

The group offers a safe and welcoming space for carers to connect, share experiences and access support, with guest speakers regularly providing practical guidance. Recent speakers have included Dalvinder Jammu, who spoke about accessing NHS 111 and urgent care services, and mental health law manager Tom Lelmezh, who explained the key changes in the Mental Health Act 2025 and what they mean for carers and patient rights.

This month, KCN and KMHCF are also launching a new joint monthly update, sharing information, news and opportunities of specific relevance to those caring for someone with a mental health condition. You can sign up to receive it here. 

Alongside support for adult carers, KCN also runs a dedicated Young Carers Project offering advice, one-to-one support and activities for children and young people with caring responsibilities.

A key moment during this year's Mental Health Awareness Week will be a speech from Jake, who first became involved with our service when he was just five years old as a young carer and has continued his journey with us ever since. Today he volunteers and speaks with young carers about his experiences.

In his speech to our youth group, Jake will reflect on the importance of support and connection:

“Taking care of your mental health is important, even if you feel like no one cares about you, someone does.

Sometimes, the hardest thing for people, especially young adults or teenagers, to say is “I need help”. However, to help your mental health, admitting that you can't do something on your own is important.

Everyone in this room could be a person that helps you out the most, whether it’s a member of the Young Carers Project, or one of the volunteers. Perhaps one of your friends or siblings – find someone who will care and take the time to help you find and get the support you need.

Mental health isn't one problem with one solution; it's hundreds of tiny problems with hundreds of solutions.

However, something can always be done. Don't feel afraid to admit when you need help and say “I need help”. Maybe you're the solution to someone else's mental health puzzle.”

We thank Jake for his inspiring words and hope this week encourages more open conversations and greater awareness of the support available to carers across Kingston.

To find out more about available support and upcoming opportunities for adult carers of someone with a mental health condition, register with Kingston Carers Network and Kingston Mental Health Carers' Forum today.

Or visit our Young Carers Project page to find out how we support children and young people.