Surrey County Cricket Club and Carers Trust have joined forces once more to provide an opportunity for some respite and entertainment for unpaid carers.
Unpaid adult carers are being offered free tickets to The Kia Oval in May for the LV= Insurance County Championship home fixture against Middlesex.
Unpaid family carers aged 18 or over will be able to attend with up to three family members.
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.
Young carers and young adult carers have already enjoyed free tickets to enjoy a day of fun and respite from their caring role at The Kia Oval. This happened during Surrey’s recent County Championship match against Hampshire.
Carers Trust’s Head of Communications and Marketing, Matt Whitticase, said: “We’re extremely grateful to Surrey County Cricket Club for this opportunity. We know that the amount of time unpaid family carers need to spend on their caring role has rocketed in recent years, with many having to give up paid work to make sure a family member gets the care they need. That’s why getting a break from their caring role is so important for family carers. It means they can enjoy a day out, a change of scene and recharge their batteries so they can carry on caring.
“Thank you to everyone at Surrey Cricket for thinking of these unsung heroes and making possible a wonderful day out for unpaid carers and their families.”
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 for Surrey’s match against Middlesex starting Thursday May 11, please contact tpeters@surreycricket.com. For more information, contact youngcarersalliance@carers.org.
Keep reading 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.”
