EVEN Swindon Primary School was presented with the Young Carer Award for Schools this week.

Swindon Carers Centre developed the award to recognise schools that support young carers.

The school regularly meets up with the young carers as a group out of lessons, provides drop-in opportunities if anyone wants to talk, and runs extra-curricular clubs specifically for young carers.

The school also has termly activities to enable the young carers to have fun outside of a classroom environment, such as a recent end-of-term summer picnic and games afternoon with 40 young carers.

This was the first time a school in Swindon had independently organised an event specifically for young carers from different schools to attend together.

Naomi Sly and Carol Chard, the young carer leads from Even Swindon Primary School, said: “We would like to say thank you to the whole school community for raising awareness of young carers and being so supportive of their peers.

“We’d also like to say a big thank you to the young carers for doing such a wonderful job caring for their families with such maturity, and continuing to work hard with their learning in school.”

For more information about young carers and how to support young carers in schools by working on the SCC Young Carer Award, please contact Ann Giles on 01793 531133 or ann.giles@swindoncarers.org.uk.