Surrey County Cricket Club and Carers Trust have joined forces to provide an opportunity for some respite and entertainment for carers of all ages.
Young carers and young adult carers will be offered free tickets to The Kia Oval in April for the first LV= Insurance County Championship home fixture against Hampshire.
Carers will be able to attend with up to three family members and are encouraged to e-mail youngcarersalliance@carers.org for the more information.
A similar opportunity will be offered to adult carers in May, when they will be able to attend the home fixture against Surrey’s local rivals Middlesex.
As well as tickets for all 4 days of the County Championship fixture, activities will be put on to ensure everyone has a fun and engaging time.
Carers Trust’s Head of Young Carers and Young Adult Carers, Vicky Morgan, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Surrey County Cricket Club for this opportunity. This is a wonderful chance for young carers to have a break from the everyday pressures of a caring role and enjoy a day of fun at The Kia Oval. We know from talking to young carers what a positive effect events like this can have. Those who are attending tell us they can’t wait to see the games.”
Carers Trust works with a network of more than 120 local organisations across the UK to provide funding and support for unpaid carers, while campaigning for them to get a better deal.
An unpaid carer is anyone who looks after a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without support. There are millions of unpaid carers across the UK, including an estimated 1 million under the age of 18.
Alongside placing strain on their wellbeing and dominating their daily lives, caring is also plunging many people into poverty and the rising cost-of-living has made the situation worse. Recent Carers Trust research showed almost two-thirds of unpaid adult carers have had to cut back their working hours or give up employment altogether, while 56% of young and young adult carers say the cost-of-living crisis is hitting them and their family.
If you are an unpaid carer who needs support or know of someone who does, visit www.carers.org to find your local carers organisation. To donate to Carers Trust, visit www.carers.org/support-us
For anyone who would like to learn more about the ticket offers in April or May, contact youngcarersalliance@carers.org for the more information.
Keep reading below to learn more about the work of Carers Trust.
Denise’s story
Denise Wilkins, 52, cares for her 86-year-old mother Maureen Shields who lives at home with her in southeast London. Maureen lost sight in one eye when Denise was 14 and her daughter has cared for her ever since. Maureen, who has osteoporosis, has since suffered spinal fractures resulting in limited mobility and now cannot walk unaided.
Denise had to give up her full-time job as a chartered accountant when her mother couldn’t get out of bed anymore. She can now only do occasional part-time work but otherwise they live on disability benefits and Denise’s savings. Denise is paying nothing into her pension which will cause her problems in the future and is struggling with costs like soaring heating bills.
The delicate balance of their finances means unexpected costs cause Denise huge problems. So, when the microwave she relies on to reheat her mother’s meals and the vacuum cleaner she needs to keep her parents’ homes clean both simultaneously broke recently, she had to apply for a grant via Greenwich Carers Centre, part of the Carers Trust network.
Denise said: “Without the grant from the Carers Trust we would either have gone into debt or been late in paying the rent or other utility bills. The grants from the Carers Trust are a financial lifeline to unpaid carers.”
Ollie’s story
17-year-old Ollie, from Bridgend, cares for his younger brother Leo, who has multiple conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), combined ADHD and paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome (PANS). Ollie helps with household tasks, helps to deal with his brother’s challenging behaviour and also looks after his little sister.
He has a great relationship with their mum Hayley and she is beyond grateful for everything he does.
Ultimately, he would love to become a teacher and to support young children in the way he has been supported, to give back to the community.
It was very tricky to fit in school and caring for his brother. While he was taking his GCSEs, he found it very demanding to carry out caring duties while doing his exams.
He said: “I found it hard to fit in with my peers since the very beginning of school and have always felt out of sync with them. I am not able to go out all the time. And they don’t understand the severity of my brother’s conditions, what that means for me or how that impacts my life.”
The cost-of-living crisis is making it very hard for Ollie and his family.
He said: “As for everyone, I believe this is a real problem. I think that this affects people who can’t work so much because as prices go up, the benefits don’t, so it’s almost impossible for people to live.”
