Young Carers cook up a tasty treat for Sheffield Councillors

22nd February 2013

Sheffield Young Carers Project and The Sheffield College combined their culinary expertise to create an appetizing event for local councillors and other key figures from the public sector.

Sparks Restaurant at The Sheffield College hosted the Young Carers Eat & Greet Event at 12 noon on Wednesday 20th February. The event, which was generously supported by The Sheffield College, was designed to provide young carers with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn valuable cooking skills and to test them on local councillors and other key figures from the public sector. Sheffield Young Carers Project (SYCP) is a registered charity that supports young carers between the ages of 8 and 21, who provide a substantial amount of unpaid care to someone at home with a physical illness, a disability, a mental health problem and/or a substance misuse issue. SYCP provides young carers with one-to-one support, group activities and residential breaks. A group of 11 young carers took part in two days of catering training at The Sheffield College before dazzling their guests with a mouth-watering and sophisticated three-course meal. A second group of seven young carers, aged between 13 and 19 years old, provided everyone around the table with moving, first-hand accounts of their personal triumphs and challenges as young carers. The event's impressive guest list featured local councillors Mary Lea and David Barker and the leader of Sheffield City Council, Julie Dore. As part of the event, each diner learned more about the vital work of Sheffield Young Carers and enjoyed a fantastic short film produced by the young carers themselves. Heather MacDonald, Chief Executive of The Sheffield College, presented each young carer who took part in the event with a catering certificate, and many of the guests pledged their support for young carers, and Sheffield Young Carers Project. Alongside the incredible support offered by The Sheffield College, a number of local companies stepped up to the plate and supported the event. The Lindley Group (an independent, British contract catering company) and Dunelm Mill (Guernsey Road, Sheffield) donated aprons, whisks, spatulas and other kitchen utensils to help young carers to continue their cooking long after the event. The money raised during the event will go directly to support young carers in Sheffield. If you would like to find out more about young carers, or to make your donation, please contact Sheffield Young Carers Project on 0114 2584595 or visit www.sheffieldyoungcarers.org.uk