8 in 10 young carers lonely during school summer holidays
Carer Support Wiltshire are supporting young carers this summer with free activities
A survey by national charity Carers Trust has found eight in 10 young carers are lonely during the summer holidays.
However, charity Carer Support Wiltshire are aiming to change that.
They’ve set up a programme of free activities for young carers aged five to 18.
Samantha Wilson, head of communications and engagement at the charity says more support needs to be given to young carers.
Late homework and leaving lessons
Samantha told us that caring for older family members can impact young peoples wellbeing and their education.
Some children are unable to hand in homework on time and leave lessons to take phone calls from home.
“The reality is that, you know, they can really struggle and feel more stressed than during term time because they don't have that usual support from schools,” Samantha told us.
To tackle that, she told us what Carer Support Wiltshire are setting up over the summer holidays.
“We're looking at things like wildlife days out, we've got cafes, cookery and creative writing workshops, family picnics, so lots of exciting stuff and they're all free.”
Young Carers save the NHS billions
While charities such as Carer Support can make a lot of difference, Samantha called on the government to provide additional help.
“Wiltshire schools are doing a great job in working towards making sure that every young carer is identified and supported through education,” she said, adding: “I think more money in general for carers would be is is essential. I mean they they save the NHS billions of pounds a year.
“I think it's only fair to to give support back to them.”