St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club has announced that they have raised over £10,000 in 2024 to support children across Cambridgeshire who are caring for a parent or sibling.
Young carers support someone in their family who has a disability or long-term illness. Isla, aged 11, cares for her younger brother who has Down’s Syndrome, and her dad who has a spinal cord injury. Isla came on a half term trip funded by the Golf Club and organised by Caring Together Charity. At the National Horse Racing Museum in Newmarket, the children had a behind-the-scenes visit to the National Stud, met retired racehorses, saw racehorses in training and tried out the thrilling racehorse simulator, learning how to ride like a jockey!
Isla said, “Usually at home, I do quite a bit of work and I do the dishes sometimes and things like that, it’s nice to sort of have a treat just for me. And then like, it’s just me and some other people who do the same things.”
St Ives Golf Club 2024 captains, Chris Spearing and Celia Greenaway chose to support Caring Together Charity’s work with young carers as they wanted to make a difference to local children facing the demands of looking after someone in their family.
“Many of these children rarely get a treat or a day out,” said Chris, “in the summer we helped pay for the annual young carers’ day out at the seaside and one child said, ‘this is my first ever holiday!’ We wanted to make sure lots of local children had some special time off, when they are doing something as amazing as caring.”
Celia Greenaway is a retired headteacher, “Young carers often struggle in the evenings to get homework done as well as cleaning, cooking, giving medication and helping someone get ready for bed. It can be a heavy weight on young shoulders. Trips out with other young carers helps them realise they aren’t alone and gives them time to simply be a child.”
As well as the Newmarket and seaside days out, the Golf Club has also enabled young carers to enjoy golf taster days at the Club, take a trip on the Ladybird boat, and enjoy pottery-making sessions. The Club also funded a half-term trip to the cinema.
“We want to say a big thank you to the members of the Golf Club,” said Chris, “our Charity Day in the summer raised over £5,000 in itself, and it’s all thanks to the Golf Club members!”
Caring Together’s Chief Executive, Miriam Martin said, “We have been completely overwhelmed at the support from St Ives (Hunts) Golf Club this year. Support from the captains and members has helped us provide opportunities for children to have a much-needed treat. The smiles on their faces shows just what a difference it has made! Chris and Celia have helped local children who are carers make some very special memories.”
Caring Together Charity supports unpaid, family carers across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk, including children and young people from age four upwards.
To find out more about Caring Together Charity visit caringtogether.org, email [email protected] or call 0345 241 0954.
