Staff at a supermarket in Locks Heath will be hitting the right note with unpaid adult carers when they launch a record-breaking year of fundraising for this year’s chosen charity Carers Trust.
Locks Heath Co-operative store
The Co-operative food store will launch their charity of the year event on Thursday (January 24) at the shop in Centre Way with a “Rock Around the Clock” fancy dress theme.
The charity – which formed last year when The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care came together – will benefit from shop staff, members and customers raising much-needed cash to tackle feelings of isolation and provide desperately needed breaks, information, advice and support for 14 to 25-year-olds facing the challenges of caring.
The theme of the launch is to acknowledge to the 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week nature of the challenges facing an estimated 500,000 young people across the UK, who care for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or, has mental health or addiction problems.
Alan Dickerson, Manager of the Locks Heath store, said: “The challenge of unpaid caring is an often hidden issue, even though it can affect most families at some time.
“We’re delighted that Carers Trust is our Charity of the Year and, that we have the chance to make a difference to the lives of young people in our communities who undertake practical and emotional caring responsibilities for a family member or friend who cannot cope without their support.”
This year, The Co-operative’s 100,000 staff – across its businesses including food, financial services, funeral care and pharmacy – aim to raise £5m to transform the lives of the UK’s unpaid young adult carers.
The launch will begin at 10am.