Salisbury Rotary Club > News > HONEYPOT VISITS SALISBURY ROTARY

HONEYPOT VISITS SALISBURY ROTARY

Salisbury Rotary Club welcomed its first guest speaker of the New Year in Viv Carter, Community Engagement Manager, of the national young carers charity, Honeypot.

Established in 1996 in the New Forest, and now with offices also in London, Wales and Scotland, Honeypot was set up to provide young carers, aged 5 to 12, with outreach and countryside respite breaks and to give them the opportunity to provide a safe, nurturing environment, make happy childhood memories and build a brighter future.

Many of these young carers are giving up to 30 hours per week, often single handed, to cook, wash, give medicine etc to a loved one. As a result, many fall behind in school, have

 limited opportunities to socialise and, on average, miss 25 schooldays per annum, with one in three also struggling with mental health.

Viv advised the Rotarians that research, from a recent Carers Trust survey, showed that there are one million young carers looking after a sick, disabled parent or sibling. Honeypot alone supports 31 young carers in the SP1 postcode area and, 4,000 across the UK every year.

Honeypot provides these young carers with Respite Breaks, Memory Making Days Out, Educational Breaks, a Wellbeing Fund (up to £250 grants for essential life items) and Pastoral Support (to enhance further the families wellbeing). The objective is to build brighter futures and create happy childhood memories.

Respite breaks involve 12/13 young carers, with a double sleepover for 2/3 nights at weekends and in school holidays, with trips out and lots of activities.

As one 10 year old carer said: ‘I find school difficult as I can’t concentrate. But at my Honeypot Educational Break, I could relax and everyone was so nice to me.’ 

Another young carer said: ’ I like how Honeypot can give you support when sometimes you need it most. It gives you a chance to be free, to stop worrying about things.’ 

Viv Carter with Salisbury Rotary Club President, Peter Mitchell

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