Young carers in Coventry are struggling to catch a break
More than half of young carers in the UK have said they can't get a regular break from their caring duties
Young carers in Coventry and Warwickshire are struggling to find respite alongside their caring duties.
A survey released by the Carers Trust on Young Carers Action Day has shown more than half of young carers say they can’t get a regular break from caring, while just 15% said they could take a break whenever they wanted.
Two-fifths (40%) also said they worried too much about the person they care for to take time out from looking after them.
Young carers from across the UK are heading to Parliament today to highlight the need for more support.
Sharan Sahota, from Coventry, is one of many young carers that will be in attendance today, she's been sharing some of the challenges she faces as a young carer.
Sharan said: "One of the challenges I face is peer pressure,.
"As a carer I am responsible for my grandparents, I have to look after them and if something goes wrong I'll essentially blame myself; I will always make them my priority.
"So when my friends ask me to go out with them or when my school asks me to join them for a project, sometimes I'll have to refuse that opportunity because y caring responsibility comes first.
"It's slightly overwhelming that sometimes I have to prioritise my caring responsibility over something that I'd really like to do with my friends."
Sharan continued to share the changes she would like to see from her visit to Parliament today, alongside other carers in the UK.
Sharan said: "It would be great to make a clause to make it compulsory for schools to identify children with caring responsibility.
"It would be nice if, legislation could be introduced to help support carers financially so they can continue completing their caring role and not have to suffer the financial burden that comes with it.
"Today, I will be visiting the House of Parliament and I'll be asking MPs exactly what opportunities they've looked into to support carers, as well as how we can all collectively make an active difference to support carers."
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