About our chosen charity - Young Carers
Their mission is to promote the rights and improve the quality of life of children and adult family carers in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.
Their vision is to make sure carers are identified, recognised, valued, respected and supported in their caring role.
Carers Support Centre is an independent registered charity, established in 1997. They have more than 12,000 local carers registered with them and deliver their services with 40 (full time equivalent) members of staff and over 170 volunteers.
Their range of services includes a confidential telephone information and advice line, carers’ magazine, Carers Emergency Card, one-to-one casework support, carers’ groups, activities for carers to take time out, regular breaks and training courses. They also work to identify and support carers in hospital and GP settings through their health team and support carers to get into – and stay in – employment.
https://www.carerssupportcentre.org.uk
Why we chose this charity Andrew’s wife Liz started volunteering for Young Carer’s over 3 years ago. She helps with sessions and especially gets involved with teaching cooking and healthy eating for Young Carers’ and Young Adult Carers. Andrew has also been involved by demonstrating the joys of playing the bagpipes!
Christmas in a Box In 2016 Liz & Andrew being aware that there were Young Carer families who were in particular need at Christmas decided to donate two Christmas boxes. The boxes contained food for Christmas day including food for a cooked breakfast, Turkey roast and lots of treats for a TV supper. Abel & Cole were generous in providing vegetable boxes. Knowing how much these boxes helped the families Liz and Andrew fundraised for Christmas 2017. This included a Christmas themed Burns Night in February which raised £550. Christmas 2017 10 boxes were shopped for, boxed and delivered to 10 families. Sainsbury’s were generous in providing crackers and other items for the boxes.
Christmas 2018, Liz & Andrew wish to help more families. We together with generous support from friends, family and strangers continue fundraising to facilitate memorable Christmas’s for families in need
People ask how the families receiving the boxes are selected. Dedicated staff at the centre know all these Young Carer families and are able to pinpoint those in greatest need. Liz wishes to remain anonymous, after all Santa Claus REALLY does exist!
Young Carers are managed by a board of trustees who bring experience in operational and financial management and marketing at a senior level. Most of the trustees became involved because of their own experience of being carers.
Carers Support Centre is a network partner of Carers Trust, benefiting from being able to share good practice with a network of over 160 partners throughout the UK. They have also gained the Carers Trust quality mark as a ‘centre of excellence’.