Caring for young carers

Thanks to the National Garden Scheme’s partnerships with the WWT and Carers Trust a group of young carers have been given a well-deserved break with a trip to the stunning WWT London Wetland Centre.

The children were able to take much-needed time away from their caring duties for the special Easter treat. It was organised by Crossroads Care Richmond and Kingston upon Thames, a member of the Carers Trust network which provides vital support to carers of all ages.

Alongside caring for family members, each of the young people has additional needs of their own. The trip gave them a rare chance to relax in the beautiful surroundings of the west London beauty spot, seeing the wildlife and exploring the 105-acre site.

Nicola Wilson, Operations Manager at Crossroads Care Richmond and Kingston upon Thames, explained: “The day at WWT was filled with laughter from start to finish. The staff team were great. The young carers and those they care for could spend this special time together, in nature, enjoying and learning new skills together and having fun.

“I witnessed shy young carers at the beginning of the day turn into young people forgetting their caring duties.”

A recent survey for Carers Trust showed more than half of young carers don’t get the breaks they need. Nearly three-quarters said they miss out on the school holidays because of the pressures of their caring role and nearly a quarter said there was no one else to provide the care they do.

“As part of our ongoing partnership with Carers Trust we’re delighted to be able to facilitate these much-needed breaks to unpaid carers at both WWT centres and National Garden Scheme gardens,” says CEO, George Plumptre. “We know that gardens and green spaces are good for us, and these visits provide moments of respite, allowing carers to have a break and return refreshed to their roles.”

For more about our partnership with Carers Trust click here

For details of our partnership with WWT click here