YOUNG carers have been handed a grant by the Morrisons Foundation to send new resource packs into schools.

Barnardo’s Bradford Young Carers received a cheque for £5,715 from the supermarket giant's charity.

The money will be used for the creation of new resource packs which will go into every school in Keighley and the rest of the Bradford district.

They will help schools to support young carers and give staff up-to-date information on best practice.

There is a DVD in the pack which shows what life is like for young carers – under-18s who care for a family member, often a parent – which can be used in assemblies and lessons.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics suggest there are 244,000 young carers in the UK, with around 23,000 aged nine and under.

Young carers are more susceptible to becoming isolated because of their commitments, and it can also affect their health and wellbeing and educational performance.

Bradford Young Carers works with five to 18-year-olds from across the district, providing a variety of support to help them enjoy childhood.

Kerry McKenna, team manager at Barnardo’s, said: “I’d like to say a big thank-you to the Morrisons Foundation. By supporting young carers and their families it is helping to ensure their health and education are not affected for the worse.

“Our job is to provide the support young carers need, to reduce their caring roles where possible and allow them opportunities to have fun, build skills and develop in confidence.

“We want them to be able to have the childhood they can easily miss out on as a result of their caring.”

David Scott, trustee of the Morrisons Foundation, said: “Barnardo’s are on hand to provide practical and emotional support for young carers, who often face challenging circumstances at home.

“We are delighted to have awarded this grant to fund new resource packs."