PKAVS wins over £460,000 from lottery to support young carers

A Perthshire charity has received almost half a million pounds of lottery cash.

The Perth and Kinross Association of Voluntary Service (PKAVS) Young Carers Project was given £464,879 by the Big Lottery Fund to support up to 450 young carers.

The project, which currently works with 200 young carers, is being referred at least eight new cases every week.

Almost half of the young people live in rural areas, which limits their chance to socialise and get respite from their role.

Raymond Jamieson, Young Carers Project coordinator, said: “Planning the future development of the project has always been difficult as there hasn’t been any long-term security. That’s why this funding is such amazing news for us.

“It gives the staff the chance to actually spend the majority of their time identifying and supporting young carers.

“This will take the form of more one-to-one support sessions, more individual support plans, more respite groups and school holiday activities and residential trips away.”

Above all, he added, more of the potential 2,500 young carers in the area will be helped “to try and reduce the impact the caring role has on their lives”.