What We Do
Carefree is the Cornish charity for young people with care experience aged 11-25.
We aim to help care experienced young people have a good life through positive relationships, support with transitions and helping young people improve the care system for themselves and others.
Carefree’s work is based in positive relationships. Young people can meet others and make friends, get involved in a range of activities and join Cornwall’s Care for Change Council. We help young people to manage the process of leaving care including through the provision of a Personal Advisor service and help with careers, education and training.
Creative
Care experienced young people can get involved in all sorts of creativity with Carefree. Young people have taken part in choirs, drumming workshops, trips to theatres, writing workshops and a lot more.
We have been working with Cornwall Museums Partnership to create a Culture Card for children and young people in and leaving care. The card allows the child or young person, plus one, to visit museums and galleries across Cornwall for free. If you are in or leaving care in Cornwall and don’t have a culture card, email us on [email protected]
Outdoors
We offer a wide variety of outdoor activities, enabling young people to explore and embrace the spectacular natural world here in Cornwall. These include forest school, walking groups, climbing, beach days, archery, kayaking, surfing and many more.
Voice for Us
Carefree makes sure that young people can make positive changes, for themselves and others, to the local and national care system. We do this by making sure that we’re in touch with all young people in or leaving care in Cornwall and that our activities help young people support one another to express their views.
Peer mentoring
Young people supporting other young people is really important in Carefree. A friendly meeting with someone your own age, or a little bit older, can really help to support young people to get involved with all that we do.
How does it work?
Once you’ve been involved with Carefree activities for a while, and can show that you are able to show kindness to others and an understanding of how to keep yourself and others safe, you could be invited to attend a Peer Mentor or young adult volunteer introduction day. This would be followed by fun, interactive training with other young people with care experience to develop skills like communication, understanding fairness and how to support others
Get Involved
If you are 17 and under, you can join one of our Entry programmes, meeting others who are care experienced,
having fun, getting support and having a say about Cornwall’s care system
If you are a care leaver, you can refer yourself to our range of activities, including art workshops,
outdoor activities and events like our annual Care Leaver conference.
Get in touch via our contact form, email [email protected] or call 01209 204333