Joshua, age 11, from Halesowen helps to care for his younger brother Ollie, age 7, who has autism. On the lead up to Christmas 2021, generous Joshua organised a raffle to win a hamper full of goodies to raise money for Dudley Young Carers – a charity close to his heart – and he raised an incredible £534.00 in total, which has been used to purchase iPads.
Last week Joshua, Ollie and their mum, Sarah, visited Dudley Young Carers at one of their weekly youth club sessions to present the devises which will be used by Young Carer Advisers when working out in the community, as well as by the children who attend the youth club, who have plans to start learning how to create animations!
Joshua, who attends Huntingtree Primary School, helps his mum to care for Ollie, a pupil at The Rowen School in Coseley – who raised £92.00 towards Joshua’s fundraising effort – with tasks around the house and making sure he is safe when they are out and about. He has received support from Dudley Young Carers since last summer and is a regular face at the youth club, which gives him much needed time out.
Mum Sarah said, “Joshua is so nurturing towards his brother and is a brilliant help, especially during lockdown when he became Ollie’s favorite teacher! He started attending the youth club last year and really enjoys it, so he wanted to give something back to help the team support even more kids like him who care for a family member. We really appreciate everyone’s generosity, including my colleagues at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.”
The Dudley Young Carers team provide free, confidential one-to-one support with a dedicated worker, school and general wellbeing support, youth clubs, activities in the school holidays and much more, to help young carers from Dudley, aged between 5 – 18 years old, access the support they need and to take a break from their caring role.
Tracey Dalloway, Young Carer Adviser said, “We’d like to say a massive thank you to Joshua for such a brilliant act of kindness! Thank you also to The Rowan School and all those who have supported Joshua. These iPads will really make a difference to the work we can do out in our communities throughout Dudley, supporting young people who take on the great responsibility of caring for a loved one.”
Dudley Young Carers is part of the Dudley Carers Wellbeing Service who provide a wellbeing service for carers of all ages throughout the Dudley borough, on behalf of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council. To find out more about Dudley Carers Wellbeing Service or to make a referral call 01384 886 429 or visit our Dudley Young Carers page.
