Community First New Forest’s Young Carers Service has been awarded a share of £1.65 million over the next 5 years.

The bumper pay-out from the Big Lottery is split between the ten members of Hampshire Young Carers Alliance (HYCA) to increase support to Young Carers aged 7 to 18.

Hampshire’s 10 Young Carers Projects support children and young people who have someone at home with a long-term illness or disability.

This could be anything from a Mum with MS, a Dad with bipolar or a brother on the autism spectrum.

Many Young Carers miss out on a regular childhood because of their caring responsibilities and this is where the projects step in to provide Young Carers with the opportunity to have time to themselves and have fun.

Community First New Forest’s Young Carers Coordinator Marie Shotbolt said: “Young Carers can suffer from stress and worry and are often quite lonely. We offer them support both at home and in school, but more importantly for many of the young people we support, we offer them the chance to have fun. This Lottery award is the most amazing news as it means we can continue our vital work for another five years and continue to support hundreds of local children. This money will make a real difference.”

Community First New Forest Young Carers Service currently works with over 250 Young Carers and their families across the New Forest providing support, advice and activities.

For more information, or to offer your support, please contact Marie on 01425 482773 or visit www.cfnf.org.uk, on Facebook: New Forest Young Carers and Twitter: @NF_YoungCarers