LOCAL charity, Carer Support Wiltshire are joining Carers' Trust to raise awareness of the thousands of young people who look after a loved one for this year’s Young Carers Awareness Day today (Thursday).

Caring can be lonely and stressful, especially for a young person juggling the challenges of growing up without support or recognition. Education and friendships can all suffer as a result and lead to isolation and mental health problems.

One in five secondary school pupils care for a family member with responsibilities including cooking, cleaning, shopping, personal care, emotional support and looking after the family budget. Half of carers under the age of eight have to get up in the middle of the night to care, interrupting their own sleep and affecting their performance and attendance at school.

Carer Support Wiltshire and Carers' Trust are hoping Young Carers Awareness Day will highlight the need for politicians, commissioners, teachers and service providers to pledge clear action to help young carers develop and maintain good mental health.

Celina, from Trowbridge, was only 12 when her dad died. As the oldest of five siblings, she had to take on the role of second parent and become the main carer for her mum, who suffers from cerebral palsy, fibromyalgia and agoraphobia. Like many young carers, Celina’s mental health suffered.

“Everything was sort of manic. No one really knew what it meant to be a young carer. Everyone just thought I was helping out, but it was more than that. My friends began to get annoyed when I would have to cancel plans at the last minute. They didn’t understand why I had to look after mum,” she said.

Now 18 and still caring, Celina knows the importance of providing support early on.

“I always have a problem with anxiety when I go out because I’m always worried about mum. At one point I didn’t really go out at all. I think I sort of slipped through the net.”

Celina is now supported by the Young Adult Carer team at Carer Support Wiltshire and attends its monthly carer cafés. Its support means she has been able to pursue her dreams and is now studying at college to become a veterinary nurse.

Carer Support Wiltshire will be running an Understanding Mental Health Workshop for some of the young people they support with mental health first aid instructor, Daran Bailey. The workshop will help them to understand mental health issues, how to spot the signs they might be struggling, coping strategies and information around available support and help.

Sharon Twiggs in the CSW Reaching Communities Team is working with the Children’s Society and the Wiltshire Healthy Schools programme to improve the identification and support of young carers in the region. She said: “A young carer may be worried about leaving the person they are caring for, especially if they have no way to contact them and cannot access a mobile phone. They might miss homework deadlines, arrive late, or have a particularly bad attendance record. They may appear unkempt, tired or irritable. They may even be being bullied because of their caring role.”

For Young Carers Awareness Day, Carer Support Wiltshire will be out and about raising awareness in schools and colleges including John O'Gaunt School in Trowbridge and Salisbury College.

If you would like more information about being a young carer visit our Young Carer website: https://carersupportwiltshire.co.uk/young-carers/