Adult carers raise money for child carers

Hitchin-based running group Ossie's Angels - led by an inspirational octogenarian still going strong in his eighth decade - have raised money for Young Carers' Crew.

Ossie's Angels is an informal, free social running club based in Hitchin led by running coach Tony Osborne. Now in his 80's, Tony's enthusiasm for running and general exercise is contagious. Tony (Ossie) created Ossie's Angels when three young mums wanted some help learning to run. The group grew as like-minded people joined and now has 40 members aged 16 to 80+. 

Tony is his wife's carer and with help from his Angels, was able to raise £55 for the local charity.

"The money raised will go towards a trip to the Gravity trampoline park in Stevenage this February," says Anna Taylor, chair of trustees and volunteer playworker for Young Carers' Crew. "It has always been a popular trip for our young people, as it's somewhere they can let off some steam - they're really looking forward to it!"

The vision of Young Carers' Crew vision is for all young carers to have the support they need to thrive and enjoy a positive childhood.

To achieve this, they run regular group sessions to provide a safe space for around 15 children and young people aged 8 to 18, where they can just have fun and take a break from their caring role.

The charity relies on support from generous supporters, such as the wonderful donation from Ossie's Angels. As a small charity, every donation helps:

£10 provides snacks and crafts for a group session

£20 gets a young carer a taxi to and from a group meet-up

£100 gives young carers a trip out somewhere special - in the past this has included Gravity in Stevenage, Woburn Safari Park, and Wicksteed Park

About Young Carers' Crew (Registered Charity Number: 1176778)

A young carer is someone aged 18 and under who helps to look after a member of their family who is ill, disabled, or uses drugs or alcohol. Young carers regularly take on responsibility for things that would normally be done by an adult.

There are over 166,000 young carers in the UK (The lives of young carers in England Qualitative report to DfE, February 2016) and approximately 3,900 of these young carers live in Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire Young Carers Multi - Agency Strategy, 2016-2019). Being a young carer can be an important part of a child or young person's life and teaches them many useful life skills, but it can also have a negative impact on the young person, including stress, difficulty concentrating in school, loneliness, isolation and bullying.

Young Carers' Crew is currently looking for volunteer playworkers and trustees to help run the group. For more information email: [email protected]

Find them on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter: @YCCHerts

Donate at: justgiving.com/young-carers-crew

About Ossie's Angels

The group meets on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays and runs 4-6 miles off road, depending on individual fitness levels.

Visit www.ossiesangels.com to find out more, or email [email protected] if you'd like to ask about joining - and also get the chance to meet inspirational Tony and the group