My intention is to carry out a photo-reportage on "the Caregiver" and on the young people who fulfill this role but do not receive much help or support, especially in the UK, to overcome the problems they face on a daily basis. 

Caregivers are young people aged between 15 and 24 who care for family members who need help: their mothers or fathers, brothers or sisters. They take on adult responsibilities which has a negative impact on their daily lives at school, at work or socially. 

A silent, invisible army whose numbers cannot be ignored. These young people are not trained to do what they do. Overlooked by social and health services they have responsibilities they cannot always manage which can lead to feelings of guilt and inadequacy. 

Statistics show that assuming the role of carer during adolescence can have harmful effects – depression, anxiety, difficulty in juggling schoolwork and caregiving, along with tiredness can lead to isolation and social exclusion. 

Caregivers complain of a lack of practical and financial support and want recognition for what is, basically, a full-time job. 

When they grow up many of these young people have to take low-paid casual work or become unemployed to continue looking after their families. 

I would like to follow the challenges and tests that a young caregiver faces on a daily basis to show through images and unspoken words what it really means to inhabit this role. Both inside and outside the home my intention is to bring to light the silent, hidden battles that make warriors of these young people who are not as appreciated as they should be. 

I plan to use an analogue camera to take a series of 20 shots which I will develop in the darkroom. To do the project I would need to get in touch with local families with young caregivers, probably through a charitable organisation in the UK. 

The photographs will be accompanied by short texts which will also be included in a book alongside the pictures and some sketches.