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Main Edition
www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk Wednesday, June 10, 2015
National Carers Week
feature
By Jacqui Morley
[email protected]
@The_Gazette
What happens at home stays
at home, on day three of our
series of special reports
in National Carers Week,
Jacqui Morley meets two of
Blackpool’s young carers –
and their champion
Y
oung carers are
often invisible in
their communities
– including to
their friends and
sometimes their relatives.
What happens at home stays
at home.
They don’t see themselves as
carers; they don’t want to be
considered different.
Here in Blackpool, Carers
Trust Fylde Coast is out to
reach this invisible army…
and one striking symbol of the
seaside is helping light that
path.
Blackpool Tower lights blue
tonight with a magenta heart –
the colours of caring – to shine
as a beacon for hidden carers
in health and social welfare
blackspot Blackpool for at
least part of National Carers
Week.
Down below, specialist
support workers are helping
identify and assist children
– and parents – in families
socially isolated because of
substance misuse.
Other young carers are
encouraged to attend a weekly
youth club at Claremont to
give them time out – or attend
young adult carer support
group sessions or respite
breaks, even day trips and
residential stays.
It’s crucial for all carers, but
particularly young carers –
and elderly carers at the other
end of the scale – to know they
are not alone.
In fact, 25 per cent of young
carers say they have been
bullied at school. Locally, some
are home schooled for that
very reason. It’s happened
here. It’s happened to them.
Research reveals one in 12
children at school is a carer – at
least two carers per class. And
many care for at least 20 hours
a week. Most get low grades at
school as a result.
Tomorrow, Carers Trust Fylde
Coast Carers Centre begins its
annual Cash Quest 4 Carers
– a corporate challenge to
businesses to help fund the
next Young Carers Champion
by raising money over three
months using a £50 stake.
Current carers’ champion
Lauren Codling, 20, has lobbied
parliament, health and welfare
watchdogs, educationalists
and policy makers.
She also plays a vital role in
the charity’s allied social
enterprise – and will be
helping highlight the £750k
fund-raising campaign to
transform what will become
Shining
a light
g
n
u
o
y
n
o
carerS
Young Carers at their weekly youth club with star visitor Bella the dog
the trust’s new headquarters
at Newton Drive. She says:
“Carers, young and old, are
inspirational. They save the
state up to £130bn – yet get so
little in return.
“This charity is a lifesaver.
Particularly for children. We
help hundreds of young carers
and young adult carers. But
there are probably thousands.
It is crucial we grow this
service.”
Zoe Harris, 18
‘It gives me hope that things can
get better’
“I care for my mum who has
osteoarthritis (both knees
and right elbow) permanent
tennis/golfers’ elbow in
left elbow, and suffers with
epilepsy, depression and some
memory loss.
“I got referred because I was
late, fell asleep, didn’t work
and fainted due to not eating
at school.
“I was taken to meet the
carers’ mentor who visited
once a week.
“I broke down, but said I was
fine, didn’t need help. She told
me I was a young carer. I said I
just look after my mum.
“They took me home and
met mum, and told us
what services and help was
available and we filled in
forms to register.
“I met the carers’ worker every
Wednesday at school after
that. I also went to carers’
youth club – mum took me the
first time.
“The service has helped me
hope that things can get
better.
“I’d lost that hope. It has
helped my confidence and I’ve
found I’m not alone.
“It’s helped me to get
through college, volunteering,
and to get away for a few
hours to a few days on
residential trips or day trips
so I can relax. Counselling has
helped me cope better.
“Towards the end of high
school I didn’t access the
service, but still got the
updates – then the Young
Adult Carers worker called
for a catch up, and because I
trusted them it was easier to
access the activities going on.
“What I value most is there’s
always someone to talk to, cry
to, or help when you feel you
have no direction. On a scale of
one to 10 in terms of how bad
I felt I was minus zero before I
got involved – now I’m seven.
Not perfect, but so much
better.
“I want to help get the word
out about all they do. Don’t
suffer in silence. Accept
help even if you’re stubborn.
Not just for yourself but
the person you care for.
I’m a carer. No other word
describes it.”
aYa souaYed, 11
Young Carer of the Year
‘We’re in it together’
“In October 2013 my mum told
me she had cancer. I had no
idea what to do; I was shocked
and didn’t expect it at all.
“From then on I have become
a completely different person,
more caring and take a lot
more responsibility.
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Aya Souayed
Lauren Codling
Zoe Harris, left, and Dee-Marie Talbott, young adult carer support worker
Support worker
Dee-Marie Talbott
with young adult
carers at the top
of the Tower
“I have learnt a lot of new
things, I have more respect for
others.
“After my mum’s operation
she started chemo which
made her seriously ill. She was
on lots of medication; night
and day I sorted her pills and
recorded her temperature,
high indicated she was getting
very ill again. The hospital
explained how important it
was to take it regularly.
“I would ring the hospital if
her temperature had reached
38 or above. My mum was
rushed into hospital by
ambulance six times in 12
weeks; her temperature kept
rising and she kept getting
infections.
“I had to go somewhere else
to stay, but visited her every
day. She told me she was fine. I
knew she wasn’t.
“It was awful to see my mum
became weak and in so much
pain. It was hard for me to
leave to go to school.
“I would make her cups of tea,
clean up, help her to stand and
walk – and wash.
“The Young Carers support
workers offered me support
and I could tell them how I felt.
They visited me in school and
took me on day trips – it was
great to enjoy myself.
“It’s really hard looking after
someone with a serious
illness. I worried a lot about
my mum, thinking about her
all day at school.
“My mum is waiting for more
operations. I am always going
to be there for her, we’re in
this together.
“Young Carers still support
me and one day I hope to offer
help to another child that
might be in the same situation
as I know what it’s like to be a
young carer.”
Aya’s mum Devry adds: “I
have had the support, love
and care from my family and
good friends throughout. I’m
Young carers listen to Amy Gunniss, young
carers activities coordinator
lucky and feel blessed. My two
youngest daughters Emira
(aged 13) and Aya (aged 11)
live at home, and have had to
cope with many things that
my cancer and treatment has
thrown at me.
“I was too ill to move some
days, in too much pain or so
medicated I couldn’t function.
Roles reversed; they cooked,
cleaned and ran the house. I
was ordered to bed on many
occasions.
“I don’t know how I’d have
coped without them. I worried
for them and the effect my
illness was having on them.
Emira is quite deep and
keeps her emotions in; Aya is
inquisitive and asks outright.
“We are a very close-knit
family, and together we get
through. We have our first
family holiday for three years
later this summer, and start
a new chapter with my next
operation. “
n Any businesses willing
to support Cash Quest 4
Carers can either attend the
launch event tomorrow at
the Village Herons Reach
from 1pm to 3pm or call the
carers’ support team at (01253)
393748 or email kay.soper@
carerstrustfyldecoast.org or
follow @cashquest4carer
tomorroW: We meet
tHe iNspiratioNal
euNiCe NiCHolls, 94,
WHo served aloNgside
tHe QueeN iN tHe War
aNd NoW faCes a verY
differeNt battle oN
tHe HomefroNt
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