More support needed for young carers at Christmas

A national charity wants more support for young carers, especially at Christmas.

A new survey from Action for Children has found that almost half of young carers feel responsible for giving their family a good Christmas.

It also found one in five carers "feel stressed or lonely during the holidays" and nearly half miss social events.

The festive period can be really tough for young people who look after a relative.

Often their role can mean they have to help out at home with tasks such as cooking and cleaning.

The charity's latest research found that one in five carers care for someone 11 hours or more a day over the Christmas break.

This would mean they spend the equivalent of 10 days out of their two-week break, looking after people and have to miss social events as a result.

Julie Bentley, who is from Action for Children, has said that she wants all young carers to get the support they need.

She said: "This time of year can be incredibly tough for young carers who are often isolated and missing out and at home cooking or cleaning instead of enjoying the festivities."