YOUNG carers looking after relatives are set to have a place in Felixstowe where they can go for a break and support.County councillor David Rowe has given £1,000 from his locality budget to help set up a club for them.

By Richard Cornwell

YOUNG carers looking after relatives are set to have a place in Felixstowe where they can go for a break and support.

County councillor David Rowe has given £1,000 from his locality budget to help set up a club for them.

Mr Rowe said there were many instances where young people were having to take on considerable responsibility to care for another family member.

He had discussed the issue with Suffolk Carers and had given the grant to help run a social and support club in Felixstowe.

"This will start shortly and be an opportunity for young carers to get advice and support from Suffolk Carers and meet other young carers for social times and again support and friendship," said Mr Rowe, county councillor for the Felixstowe Landguard division.

"Felixstowe presently has no such provision so young carers can feel isolated and not know of anyone in the same situation nor have access to independent advice. However, this will soon change with the setting up of this club."

Details of where and when the club will meet are expected to be announced soon.

Mr Rowe said the club would help youngsters like Jacob Swift, of Kiln Field, Felixstowe, whose case was recently highlighted by the Evening Star.

Jacob, 12, cares for his mum Helen, who has been recovering from major surgery in her battle against the intestine complaint Crohn's disease. She also has the bone condition osteoporosis and recently broke her back.

Social services do provide carers support for the family, as does the Crossroads charity, but the burden for the rest of the hours in the day falls on Jacob, who goes to Deben High School, and his eight-year-old sister Poppy, a pupil at Langer Primary School.

Jacob has been taking cookery lessons to keep the family fed, and both children have had to learn first aid just in case they need it.