Portraits of young carers on display in gallery with Jade Ewen

Portraits of young carers on display in gallery

• 12 February 2015

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nullBradwin is a young carer who is featured in the gallery.

Portraits of young carers and celebrities are being showcased as part of a new exhibition called 'Hidden' by the Children's Society.

The gallery has displayed the portraits of 28 young carers and three celebrities, who used to be young carers too.

A young carer is someone who has to take care of their parent, or brother or sister if they are too poorly to do normal tasks, such as cooking and cleaning.

Full-time job

Being a care-giver can be a full-time job for many young carers, and around 1 in 12 are caring for more than 15 hours a week.

This can sometimes have a knock on effect on their everyday life, and around 1 in 20 young carers miss school because of their caring responsibilities.

There are around 166,000 young carers across the country.

The exhibition hopes to raise awareness of the extra jobs that young carers do, and encourage MP's and local authorities to do more to support them.

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nullJade Ewen used to be a young carer, and spoke to Leah about her experiences

Jade Ewen is a singer/songwriter, who used to be in the girl group Sugababes, and used to be a young carer for her mum and dad.

She and her brother and sister had to take on a lot of the household jobs when they were younger, when her Mum became too poorly to do them.

She spoke about how she balanced her school life, with being a young carer, and the extra pressures and responsibilities that involved.

Jade and Emma McQuiston with Sorapol at #LFW15

Jade Louise Ewen @JadeEwen 
· Feb 22

#LFW15 @Emma_McQuiston @sorapol @daniellismore @IamDavidLazenby @Matthewmayfair @FollowWestwood @Gyunel_Official

Viscountess Weymouth @Emma_McQuiston · Feb 22

NEW @HuffingtonPost article #fashionforrelief @missjourdandunn @sorapol @JadeEwen @veryexclusiveuk @gyunel #LFW http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emma-mcquiston/back-from-the-wilderness-london-fashion-week_b_6727954.html …

Viscountess Weymouth @Emma_McQuiston · Feb 22

http://www.

huffingtonpost.com/emma-mcquiston/back-from-the-wilderness-london-fashion-week_b_6727954.html … #LondonFashionWeek @HuffingtonPost article featuring the lovely @JadeEwen :-)

Amelle off to perform in India on Thursday 26th February

Amelle S Rosa @Amelle_Berrabah · 17h17 hours ago

#India tomorrow!! #AmityUniversity Thank you so much for having me! I'll make sure to give you all a great show!!

Sugababes - Official UK Singles - Chart History

Sugababes - Official UK Singles - Chart History

Published on 13 Feb 2015

This video chronicles all of Sugababes' hits to enter the Official British Charts, along with their peak position, debut date and cover art.

Members:
Siobhán Donaghy
(1998–2001)
Mutya Buena
(1998–2005)
Keisha Buchanan
(1998–2009)
Heidi Range
(2001–present)
Amelle Berrabah
(2005–present)
Jade Ewen
(2009–present)

Thanks for watching!

Godspell In Concert : Godspell Photo Call With Jade, Andy, Leanne, Tom and Producers at Hackney Empire.

Godspell In Concert : Godspell Photo Call With Lead Cast and Producers at Hackney Empire.

Jade Ewen at Hackney Empire.

Leanne Jarvis at Hackney Empire.

Tom Senior at Hackney Empire

Andy Abraham at Hackney Empire.

Producers Mark Pettit and Russell Scott — at Hackney Empire.

Video: Godspell In Concert Preview

Godspell In Concert Preview

Posted: 11 February 2015

Jade Ewen: Being a young carer 'made me stronger than I realise'

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Singer, songwriter and actress Jade Ewen’s story and photograph are part of Hidden: England’s Invisible Young Carers, a compelling exhibition of photos and stories of some of the more than 166,000 young carers.

Find out more about Hidden: England’s Invisible Young Carers.

Jade's story

My dad is blind and partially deaf, and my mum is partially blind and has other health issues that make it harder for her to move around. Despite having parents with disabilities, though, for my entire childhood, I didn’t realise I was something that’s called a young carer. I’m still finding out how that has shaped who I am now. Part of it was the practical stuff like bills and shopping – I can still feel the chill from carrying heavy bags of groceries on a cold evening. But it was also being responsible and worrying about my parents every day.

I have to say, though, that being a young carer has more positives than negatives for me in my life. It made me stronger than I realise. I can get the job done, which is really useful in my line of work – where I have to focus and the hours can sometimes be gruelling. And I didn’t miss out, it wasn’t a bad experience – it helped me overcome obstacles. 

An issue for me was that I didn’t know about organisations and we had no extended family. This, combined with the fact that we didn’t have much money when I was growing up. Both my parents were on benefits – which I had to help organise – and we were placed in a flat for seven years that was a total nightmare to live in. Not only was the place damp and cold, but it was really difficult for my parents to move about in it. It was really dangerous. I remember the damp made my school blazer mouldy, and we couldn’t afford a new one – it was really embarrassing. 

Being a young carer has made me a more empathic and perceptive person

Singing was my escape though – it was such a form of release. My parents loved my singing, and always encouraged me and gave me as much opportunity to live my life as they could. 

Being a young carer has made me a more empathic and perceptive person that I might not have been otherwise. I can relate to people in a way that I think is down to having to care for my parents. I would say to any children or teenagers who are caring for someone that you can’t care for your loved ones if you don’t care for yourself. Don’t feel guilty about getting the support you need. That’s why organisations like The Children's Society and the Young Carers in Focus project are so vital – I can’t wait to see the exhibition.

By Jade Ewen - Guest bloggers 

Venues and Dates of Godspell starring Jade Ewen