PRIMARY school pupils were amongst the many young carers that met Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd Llyr Gruffydd, to discuss support for unpaid carers in Mold.
The youngsters are supported by the North East Wales Children’s Information Service (NEWCIS), which serves young carers in Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham who are registered carers for family members.
Mr Gruffydd, who represents the North Wales region in the Senedd, heaped praise on the youngsters, saying: “These are very special members of our society. Not only are they subject to responsibilities most of us couldn’t imagine at that age, but they do it with unbelievable maturity.
“As a society we’ve come to rely on many young people taking on significant burdens as carers and it’s a concern that this is becoming ever more frequent. The young people I met were keen to learn about my work as an MS for the area, and to understand what the Senedd can do to better support their needs.”
The charity NEWCIS, which is based in Mold, offers support to carers of all ages, including the youngest children. By offering respite sessions where the young carers come together for weekly social events the carers get to relax and share experiences with peers experiencing similar challenges.
Soon the charity will be moving into new premises at the old Barclays Bank building in Mold, where all their staff and services will sit under the same roof.
Claire Sullivan CEO of NEWCIS said: “It was great to have the opportunity for our Young Carers to meet with and ask their own questions to Mr Gruffydd – they really enjoyed the experience.
“To be able to show the MS around our new base was fantastic. We hope the move to the new premises will give us additional capacity for services that are vitally needed, the building will be a community resource, and we hope that carers and their loved ones will enjoy the new space and the facilities.”
Llyr Gruffydd added: “Although the Welsh Government has made some progress in supporting young carers there’s so much more that needs to be done. I’m particularly keen to explore proposals for a young carers travel pass and a bespoke mental health support scheme.”
“It’s vital that we offer our carers all the support they need and this special project deserves all our support.”
If you need more information on the support offered by NEWCIS – visit www.newcis.org.uk or email them at [email protected]
