Young carer photo exhibition extended due to demand

The collection includes a photo of this 15-year-old carer, who said sometimes "I wished to hold on to the feeling that the world would go away and it would just be me and [my dog] Echo”

An exhibition on the lives of young carers has been extended after high levels of interest.

Photographs taken by the young people will now be displayed at Gallerie V in Cambridge until 17 April.

Cambridgeshire County Council has said there are more than 1,800 young carers living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

Michelle Birch, from Cambridgeshire young carers charity Centre 33, said the exhibition gave a voice to those who "go under the radar".

Lily praised Centre33 for giving her a "safe place" to talk "without any judgement"

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) is touring the collection and it aims to raise awareness and funds for the charity, Centre 33, which offers respite and support.

Lily, a 17-year-old who cares for her older brother and younger sister, said the charity gave her a "safe place" to talk "without any judgement".

"I have a lot of additional worries about home... I am still thinking about what is going on at home even at school or with my friends," she explained.

"My caring role also impacts my emotions and my feelings. I feel stressed a lot of the time or overwhelmed."

In 2022-23, Centre 33 said it supported more than 1,000 young carers in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

A total of 78% provided practical help, 57% emotional help and 26% gave nursing-type help, the charity said.

Head of operations Ms Birch told the BBC that the exhibition had been well received and as such, was extended.

Ms Birch said: "It is a really beautiful insight into the lives of some of these young carers.

"There is a range of photos, from pets to more brutal images of medication that carers have to support their parents of siblings to take, along with poignant captions."

Ms Birch described it as a "rollercoaster of emotions" that showed their perspective to the public.

The exhibition was developed by RPS with charity Action for Children, supported by a National Lottery Project Grant.

A 12-year-old carer said they had lots of stress, worries, and needed "to feel like the whole world is not on me”