A young carer who has been studying hard, volunteering and caring for her mum for many years has won herself a scholarship.
Now in the second year of her Education and English degree, Emilia McRobie, 19, from Gateshead has received a £2,000 Edge Hill Entrance Excellence Scholarship.
In sixth form, Emilia volunteered with Newcastle-based Success4All – a children's tutoring and befriending service. She also helped at a local school as a football coach, teaching assistant, and librarian.
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Alongside her studies and volunteering, Emilia has spent many years caring for her mum, who suffers from multiple chronic conditions, including fibromyalgia and lupus.
These experiences have fuelled her passion for child equality. She said: "Getting involved with other young carers opened my eyes to just how many there are. You wouldn't believe the extent of what they do.
"I can't imagine being seven years old having to fully care for an adult, making sure they take their medication and feeding them. They miss out on so much. I would love to work to change the system to ensure all children are supported to have the same opportunities."
There are currently around 800,000 young carers aged between five and 17 in the UK. Once Emilia completes her degree, she is keen to work in the charity sector, influencing policy and improving the support available.
Emma Irving, the mother of Emilia said: "As a mother, I couldn't be more proud of my daughter Emilia. From an early age, she has always wanted to help people, from the other kids in the class to the teacher at every given opportunity.
"On parent's evenings, they would say how much of an asset she was to have in class. As she went into her teens this continued with her voluntary work after school with primary school children, then also in her home life as I was suffering from chronic pain and fatigue. She is always such huge support when home doing housework, cooking, and cleaning. Even when she is away at University she still is still huge support to me with messages, calls, and instructing her younger brother with a list of jobs to help. She inspires me on a daily basis with the things she achieves and the support she offers others.”
Emilia continues her love of volunteering at university. She's President of Edge Hill's 'Uni Boob Team' – a society representing breast cancer awareness charity, Coppafeel, on campus. It encourages all young people to check their breasts, and this academic year it's already fundraised close to £2000.
Emilia's charity work links to her small online business, which her scholarship award helps fund. She sells 'body positivity' merchandise through Instagram and the online craft site Etsy. She said: "I want to raise a smile and make people feel confident whatever their shape and size. I'm a bigger girl, and I didn't feel good enough for a long time. I wanted to change things about myself.
"Now I've shifted how I think, and I want to help others do the same. I've unfollowed many people on social media with 'society bodies,' which don't often reflect reality anyway. I'm much more interested in people and organisations who reflect real life and look to make a difference."
Emilia's next challenge is to personally raise £2500 through this summer’s CoppaTrek on the Pembrokeshire Coast, covering 100km over five days.
Emilia's fundraising page, can be visited here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/emilia-mcrobie?newPage=True
