Carefree turns 20!
This summer, Carefree Cornwall celebrates 20 years of helping care experienced young people to have a better life.
Carefree was set up in 2005, with its first Holiday programme being planned by six young people in the care of Cornwall Council, alongside a foster carer who had a background in youth work. The worker, Mari Eggins, is now Carefree’s CEO and over 20 years, the organisation has grown significantly.
Mari says ‘Carefree’s roots are still in what those six young people said to me in 2005 – that they felt it was hard to explain to their school friends how it felt to be a child in care. Shockingly, some of them were experiencing bullying and they all wanted to meet others who understood them. We planned an activity programme for a wider group of young people and those first six designed and led it. Carefree put young people in the lead then, and we have never looked back’.
The first six trained to be Carefree’s first Peer Mentors, understanding that young people may need to know a friendly face before they joined something new. They engaged eight more young people in a magical fortnight at BF Adventure, then known as The Bishop’s Forum, a wonderful activity centre near Penryn. A fortnight of Independent Living Skills, outdoor activities and, most importantly, friendship began on 1 August 2005.
On 23 July 2025, Carefree is celebrating the fact that over the last 20 years, it has not only survived but thrived. The organisation has grown from its tiny beginnings with one part time member of staff and 6 young people to an organisation offering a direct service to 600 young people a year and employing over 40 staff members. An event near Redruth will include stakeholders including Council staff and elected members, funders, staff and most importantly, young people.
Lawrence Lloyd, who has been with Carefree since he was 11 and is now a professional staff member, said ‘Carefree has been more than just a charity to me, it’s a place where I have always felt understood and supported. For over a decade, Carefree has given me real opportunities to lead, build confidence, and find my voice. Like a second family, the organisation is a constant source of support, showing young people that they truly matter, then, now and in years to come.’
Carefree has helped make a great deal of change to the care system in Cornwall over the years, from improving access to transport, campaigning for better housing for care leavers and creating a Culture Card which enables care experienced young people to access museums and art galleries. Carefree were part of the campaign to have Care Experience recognised by Cornwall Council as though it were the 10th protected Characteristic of the Equalities Act 2010.