Young carers take to the skies thanks to charity

Young carers from Leeds and Rotherham enjoyed flights at Sherburn Aero Club

A group of young carers from Yorkshire have been given the chance to take some time out from their daily lives to fly above the region in a plane.

The young people from Leeds and Rotherham took to the skies in a light aircraft at Sherburn Aero Club in Leeds.

The day was organised by the charity Family Action and Leeds and Rotherham Young Carers.

The event was part of a national initiative by the Honourable Company of Air Pilots (HCAP), which has already flown 76 young carers across the UK.

One of those taking the flight last week was 11-year-old Lily Jane.

She cares for two younger siblings and helps her mum and two other sisters who struggle with their mental health.

"I think days like this are really important because if you have social anxiety like me, then you get to make more friends than you have in school," she said.

"I was scared at first but when I got in the air I was like, this is really cool."

Fellow carer Ty said the flight was an "experience I have never felt before".

"I have been on planes before to go on holiday, but being in one of the small ones, being in a small compact place so high off the ground, you feel so vulnerable and you just have to let yourself go and relax, it is beautiful."

Ty says the day was also a chance to meet other young carers he could relate to

The teenager has cared for his mum and brother for about 10 years.

"My mum has back pains, a bowel disorder, she has asthma, when I was younger she was in and out of hospital a lot," he said.

"When I got older, I was introduced to someone who worked with young carers and I didn't realise that I was one.

"I didn't know it was a thing."

Ty has been working to raise awareness of young carers and said it felt "amazing" to speak to younger children in the same position.

Young carers were taken on flights above Leeds and York

Jared, 17, cares for his mum after she fell ill two years ago.

"I have taken the responsibility to take care of my mum," he said.

"I always try and cook meals for her, I clean the house, I do quite a lot.

"At first it was really hard, really challenging. I would feel so frustrated because I had to take on such a big responsibility, but you just get used to it."

He said Leeds Young Carers had offered him incredible support.

"Days like this are so helpful, we all have something in common, we all have this responsibility and it is really hard," he said.

Sophie Parker hopes the day gave the young carers a break from their normal routines

Sarah Oliver works with Rotherham Young Carers and said it had been a wonderful experience.

"For the carers who have things that they can't do because of their caring role, this is amazing for them," she said.

Events like this provide young carers with an "opportunity to connect" with others in similar situations, said Sophie Parker, service manager with Leeds and Rotherham Young Carers.

She said apart from being a break it also gave them space to "think about their future and their aspirations".

The light aircraft flights were organised by HCAP and aim to raise awareness of the vital role young carers play.

Alisdair Beaton from the organisation said: "This is our way of saying thank you to young carers, to recognise what they do, and to say thank you for what they are doing."

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