Nottinghamshire County Council is providing free travel to young carers and young adult carers, under 19 years old, as part of its commitment to supporting carers. 

The scheme is open to young carers who live in the county, and it allows them to travel free of charge on buses and trams anywhere within the county and city. The free travel will enable young carers to travel to school, college or work, visit friends and family and can be used 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A carer is anyone who provides unpaid care for a friend or family member who, because of illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction could not cope without their support. 

Councillor Jonathan Wheeler, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Nottinghamshire County Council, said:

“Carers have told us that being able to have breaks from caring, being able to access education and training, and pursuing health and wellbeing interests are important to them, and access to free travel helps young carers to take part in these activities. This ties in with the theme for this year’s Young Carers Action Day, which is today - Give Me a Break.

“There are over 1000 young carers in Nottinghamshire, and we know there are probably many more who do not think of themselves as carers. Our young carers play a vital role in supporting their family members. They may provide physical care, such as helping someone out of bed and helping them to get dressed, emotional support, managing the family budget, collecting prescriptions and helping to give medicine or looking after brothers and sisters. This can have a significant impact on their education and other aspects of their lives, and they can miss out some of the wider opportunities that their peers have access to. This is why providing opportunities for young carers to have a break from their caring duties is so important.

“This commitment to free travel for young carers was included in our Nottinghamshire Adult Social Care Local Plan 2024, which set out our priorities for adult social care, including support for carers. This initiative is funded from the Bus Service Improvement Plan and will be available until March 2026.”

To find out more about the free travel cards for young carers, visit TRAVEL CARDS | Young Carers Notts.