Sharing the Mic: Building Fair Futures for Young Carers
Launching our new participatory action podcast this Young Carers Action Day
Today is Young Carers Action Day 2026, and the theme for this year is one that sits at the very heart of our work: Fair Futures for Young Carers. At Research Podcasts, we believe that a “fair future” must be built on a foundation of rigorous evidence and, most importantly, the authentic voices of those with lived experience. That is why we are incredibly proud to announce the launch of our new series – Sharing the Mic: Young Carers & Change Makers in Conversation.
Evidence-Based Advocacy Building Fair Futures for Young Carers
Created in partnership with the Carers Trust this isn’t just a collection of stories – it is a podcast rooted in ground-breaking research. The series serves as the public voice for the Nuffield Foundation-funded project, ‘The long-term effects of being a young carer’, conducted by Dr. Becca Lacey and her team at City St George’s, University of London, and UCL.
The data is startling: there are as many as 1 million young carers in the UK. That’s roughly 2 or 3 in every classroom. Yet, as Dr. Lacey’s research shows, these young people are 69% more likely to report chronic mental illness and are significantly less likely to achieve top grades at GCSE and A-Level. To achieve a “Fair Future,” we must first understand the systemic barriers that make the present so unfair.
Co-Creation: A Participatory Action Podcast
At the heart of this series is a commitment to participatory action. We believe that storytelling and lived narratives are the bridge between raw data and impactful policy change. To ensure this project was truly representative, Krissie Brighty-Glover, our Director of Training and Production, and producer Alice Bloch led a series of intensive workshops designed to give young carers the skills and agency to lead the conversation.
In these sessions, the young carers didn’t just participate; they took the lead. They debated the themes they wanted to tackle, stepped up to become presenters, and helped decide on everything from the podcast’s format and title to its artwork.
They were adamant that while the series must highlight the structural challenges and “mental load” they face, it should also be celebratory. They wanted to show the world that while they are proud of the care they provide, they are also students, aspiring professionals, and individuals with dreams – they are more than “just” young carers. This collaborative process ensures that the podcast doesn’t just talk about them but is a platform for them.
Why ‘Sharing the Mic’?
The title of the podcast is our mission statement. For too long, young carers have been “hidden in plain sight.” In this series, we hand the microphone to the experts by experience.
In each episode, a young carer takes the lead, sitting down with policy experts and “change makers” to discuss how we move from the statistics of today to the Fair Futures of tomorrow.
What to Expect from the Series:
Episode 1: Young Carers: Hidden in Plain Sight with Sharan
Sharan, a young carer and trainee barrister, talks to Holly Swinckels (Carers Trust) about the struggle for identification and why being a carer shouldn’t limit who you can become.
Episode 2: Young Carers: Making Education Fairer with Isla and Oliver
Isla and Oliver join Kit Rooney, from the charity The Difference to discuss the “postcode lottery” of school support and how we can stop young carers from losing out on learning.
Episode 3: Young Carers: Money, Work and Independence with Danny
Danny speaks with Andy McGowan (Carers Trust) and Jackie Woodhouse (Learning & Work Institute) about the “21-hour rule,” the need for benefit reform, and the incredible skills carers bring to the workplace.
Episode 4: Young Carers: Creating a Fairer Future with Eden and Amy
In our final episode, Eden and Amy discuss the invisible weight of caring and work with Dominic Carter (Carers Trust) to envision a future where support is a political priority, not a personal burden.
Join the Conversation to Build Fair Futures for Young Carers
Our goal with Sharing the Mic is to ensure that research doesn’t just sit in a report – it sparks the vital conversations needed to build a fairer future.
Whether you are an educator, a policy maker, or someone who wants to support the young people in your life, this podcast is for you.
As Sharan says in Episode 1:
“Being a young carer is part of who you are, but it doesn’t have to limit who you can become.”
Listen to the first episode now on and join us in calling for Fair Futures for all young carers.
If you are a young carer seeking support or want to know how to support the young carers in your life head over to the Carers Trust website at carers.org or follow them on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Research Podcasts offer podcast production and training for researchers and academics. If you have an idea, we can make it a reality.
