A CHARITY has revealed their target to raise £30,000 to give unpaid carers in Wiltshire a break.

Carer Support Wiltshire have made this pledge to show their support for those who give so much time and effort to loved ones.

Money raised by the Time for Carers appeal will be used to give carers much needed time away from their caring role and the opportunity for respite and to do something for themselves that they enjoy.

Many carers are unable to take time away from the person they care for on a regular basis and some may have gone years without a break.

They may be unable to leave their loved one alone as they need constant monitoring or supervision, and constantly worry about what could happen to their loved one if they do.

Nikola Bishop, Salisbury is a parent carer to twin seven-year-old boys, Jenson and Fletcher.

The boys were born 13 weeks prematurely and suffered brain bleeds. Both have ADHD and Jenson is autistic.

Last year CSW paid for the family to have a day out at Paultons Park, which Nikola says was ‘a day out we could all enjoy.’.

She said: “We had passes that meant we didn’t have to queue and it was just something fun for all of us.

“The boys had a great day and I could relax a bit while they were enjoying the rides.”

Claire, who preferred to not give her real name, was in crisis at the end of last year when she was let down by a care company and left with no one to help look after her mother, who needs round the clock care, for five and a half weeks just before Christmas.

CSW was able to fund five days in a hotel on the coast for Claire, her husband and her mother to help them recharge and recover from a very stressful time.

She said: “I was very tearful every day and felt isolated and trapped. I wanted to just run away.

“I didn’t want to be separated from mum so it was wonderful to be given the chance to go away with her to a place with adapted accommodation.

“It gave us all a break from the same four walls where we had been arguing from the stress of the situation. It also gave me the chance to think about what I was going to do and time out to clear my head.

“It wasn’t just about the money either – it was the fact I was being recognised as a carer and made to feel valued.”