Plymouth Young Carers treated to Ocean-themed fun at National Marine Aquarium

Young carers in Plymouth are being given the chance to take a break and connect with our Ocean here in the city thanks to a new series of events being run by the National Marine Aquarium (NMA).

A group of young carers from Stoke Damerel Community College aged between 11-14 have been invited to attend the second special edition Ocean Squad programme after the initial programme, which ran throughout December and January 2018, proved to be a huge success.

Those participating in the latest run of Young Carers Ocean Squad sessions are being treated to an action-packed schedule of fun and educational activities, including snorkelling, taking a boat trip around Plymouth Sound, cooking sustainable seafood and exploring the local beaches. They are also able to go behind the scenes at the NMA with an exciting back-of-house tour, visiting all the places only Aquarium scientists are usually able to go. 

Joe Farrow, Ocean Squad Coordinator at the National Marine Aquarium, said: “We’re thrilled to have been able to offer this exciting programme of Ocean-themed fun to Young Carers across the city, and even more so that is has been so well received. Many young carers have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, and so we really wanted to help bring their community together and give them a break from the pressured of their day-to-day lives. Our Young Carers Ocean Squad here at the NMA is a chance for them to have some fun, make new friends and learn and try new things.”

“The response to the programme so far has been incredible, and all places have already been filled now for the rest of the year. It has been immensely popular, and we hope that all young carers attending in 2019 will have a fun and memorable experience they won’t forget.”

The project is being funded by a grant of almost £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund, which was awarded to the NMA in September 2018, with each Young Carers Ocean Squad series lasting six sessions and a further two series set to take place later this year. All costs including activities, materials, equipment and lunches are being covered by the grant, with places offered on a complimentary basis to carers across the city.

Set on Plymouth’s historic Barbican, the NMA is an Ocean conservation charity which aims to connect people with our Ocean to inspire pro-Ocean behaviour, which it achieves by providing informal learning experiences to more than 300,000 people each year.

The Aquarium has been based in Plymouth since 1998 and was the first aquarium in the UK to be run as a separate charity solely dedicated to education and conservation of our Ocean.

More information about the National Marine Aquarium is available at: www.national-aquarium.co.uk