THE range of services on offer to young carers and the care-experienced community will be outlined at a special event next week.

Carefest brings together a range of council services and local providers to give young carers and youngsters with care experience, and their parents and carers, an opportunity to find out more about the services and activities available to them locally.

The event, which is open to children from P5 to S6 and their parents and carers, is held at North Berwick High School.

All children and young people in attendance will be entered into a free prize draw to win Amazon vouchers.

East Lothian Council’s education, young carers, connected communities, active schools and mental health services will be there, along with Edinburgh College, Heavy Sound CIC, Wave Project Scotland, Venturing Out, Columba 1400, The Bridges Project and many others.

There will be a marketplace of activities, as well as individual events during the day giving opportunities to spend time with friends and try out new experiences.

Carefest takes place next Thursday (March 21) and sessions run between 10.30am and 12.30pm and 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Euan Orr, East Lothian Council’s education support officer, is one of Carefest’s organisers.

Mr Orr said: “Carefest aims to showcase the range of opportunities and supports that are on offer for East Lothian’s care-experienced and young carers communities.

“Our marketplace will provide attendees with an opportunity to network with key support services, and our breakout sessions should provide fun and engaging activities to get involved in together.

“We want to get the word out and encourage as many young people as possible from our young carer and care-experienced communities to come along and have fun.

“We are aiming to inspire and empower our young people by bringing together those that are there to support them.

“Carefest is about helping others to achieve their potential, both right now and in the future.

“It is not an event to be missed.”

Currently, there are more than 250 children and young people experiencing care through East Lothian Council services.

This includes foster care, residential care, living with friends or relatives (kinship care), being cared for at home or receiving continuing or aftercare support.

In addition, there are a significant number of young people attending East Lothian schools who have previous care experience.

Meanwhile, 450 children have identified themselves as young carers by completing young carer registrations, although it is believed that the true number is higher than that.

Care-experienced children and young carers can attend the event regardless of which school they attend.

Parents or carers who intend to take their child to the event must inform their school directly.

Attendance in this situation should be recorded as an ‘authorised absence’.