YOUNG carers have been given £500 to help them not fall behind in school or miss out on opportunities.

A charity which helps young carers has received a donation from Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation after being nominated by colleagues from the St Helens branch.

The charity is based in St Helens and supports local children aged six-18 years old who provide regular or ongoing care towards their family members who are ill, disabled or have mental health conditions.

These children take on practical or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally be expected of an adult. The charity supports young carers to have a life outside of caring and a chance to enjoy a social life.

It also helps them to receive the support they need in order to achieve academically, enabling them to access future training, education or employment.

Nicola, a customer consultant at Yorkshire Building Society in St Helens, said: “We are proud to be able to support St Helens Young Carers in our community with a donation from Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation.

“The charity works hard to provide the children with some of the same experiences as other children their age, they help with school which they sometimes miss, and provide fun days out and residentials so they can have a break.”

Kayleigh, the team manager at St Helens Young Carers said: “We are over the moon to receive the donation from Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation. It’s donations like this that really help us to continue to provide the amazing services that we do!”

For more information on St Helens Young Carers visit sthelensyoungcarers.org