The Story of Care Ambassador programme invites care experienced young people to produce creative responses to the care system – as it was, as it is now. The Ambassadors attend a monthly workshop to reflect on the care system, and to develop skills in a new creative medium. They are set with a monthly task to produce a piece of content, which we platform on our channels.

Transitions: Stories of Care

In September we asked our Story of Care Ambassadors to create a photo series depicting a day in their life when something changed, asking them to reflect on the thoughts and feelings that typically accompany transitions. We share some of these photos below. Alongside them are messages about the care system that the Ambassadors say the public should absorb. The messages are a testament to how the public’s perceptions of care must go through transitions of their own.

“Our experiences make us stronger”

Change is often uncertain but it can also be fulfilling. (Image and text by Angie.)

“Life in care is a journey”

If I could go back and give myself advice I would say ‘zoom out and breathe’. (Image and text by Angie.)

“We are not sob stories”

 

Angie running. (Image by Ben.)

“We don’t owe anyone an explanation!”

If I could go back and give myself advice I would say don’t stress, everything will be fine. (Image and caption by Billy.)

“Don’t make assumptions about when or why I went into care”

The most important thing I learn that day was to be confident and to allow people in. (Image and caption by Billy.)

“Children in care are human”

If I could go back and give myself advice, I would say save and travel. (Image and text by John.)

“We deserve more support than we get currently”

The most important thing I learnt that day was that we all live in cycles. (Image and text by John.)

The Story of Care Ambassador programme is  part of Coram’s Voices Through Time: The Story of Care programme, made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Copyright © Coram. Coram licenses the Ambassadors’ photographs under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 (CC BY-NC).