Centre makes young carer 'feel like a child again'

A young carer who has spent her whole life looking after her dad said a Lancashire charity had finally given her the chance to feel like a child again.

Lauren Woolf and her brother Ethan were both in their early 20s before they were formally recognised as carers.

They now attend the Blackpool Carers Centre, which provides specialist support, respite and outings for unpaid carers aged five and above.

For many young carers like Lauren and Ethan, the two-hour break they enjoy there every Thursday is the only one they will get all week.

Lauren said: "I've not really been a child so just being here and being part of the group is making me feel like a child again."

The 23-year-old said it was not until she first came to the centre that she realised she could have been identified as a carer much earlier.

"We were like 'that's just our responsibility - that's just what we have done our whole lives'.

"I lost a massive part of my childhood, so if I had this when I was younger it would have meant the world to me."

According to Blackpool Council, more than 16,000 people in the town provide unpaid care.

Blackpool Carers Centre is this year celebrating two decades of work supporting carers.

Samantha Howard has worked there for the last eight years and is now the centre's young adult carers' development worker.

She said its referrals list was dominated by young women.

"A lot of their aspirations are really low," said Ms Howard.

"Trying to encourage them to prioritise themselves is really difficult and that is a lot of the work that we try and do."

Young carers in Blackpool can now refer themselves to the centre by scanning a QR code.

It is aimed at people like 16-year-old Charlotte, who cares for younger brother Frankie.

Charlotte has always looked after eight-year-old Frankie, who is autistic and non-verbal.

"It gets overwhelming a lot of the time, because of how much I do for him," she said.

"But every time he seems me he literally screams my name and runs up to me."

Blackpool Carers Centre gives Charlotte a chance to relax and focus on being herself.

"This place just gives a break away - you just forget about everything that you have got to do at home," she said.

"I've loved every minute of it."

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