Wakefield charity awarded £30,000 National Lottery grant to support bereaved carers

The Wakefield and District Carers' Association (CW&D) said the a £34,200 grant, awarded by the National Lottery Community Fund, was an "absolute lifeline".

The local service provides advice and information for carers, including those caring for people with additional needs and people who have suffered a bereavement.

CEO Justine Bilton said that carers had faced unprecedented challenges through the coronavirus pandemic, with many left unable to access the support services they relied on prior to lockdown.

She said: "Carers across the country play a vital role in our society. During this current crisis carers have been even more under pressure caring for their loved ones usually behind closed doors.

“We’re overwhelmed to have been awarded this funding, and we would like to say a huge thank you to the Government.

"This award will enable unpaid carers in the Wakefield District to get much needed and deserved support during such an unprecedented time, reducing the loneliness and isolation.”

The CW&D works with an estimated 3,000 carers each year, and says that lockdown has forced many carers into isolation, as they are cut off from the services and groups that usually provide support.

Justine said the support for carers is "dire", and their needs can often "get lost" around the time of a bereavement.

CW&D will now use the additional funding to secure the positions of several frontline staff for a further six months.

Staff will particularly focus on supporting hundreds of bereaved carers, and those who work with the service to tackle issues such as applying for power of attorney or making wills for friends and families.

Elly de Decker, England Director, The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Alongside National Lottery money, our funding teams have been working hard to get £200m of Government funding out to communities across England over the last few months.

"The way groups and charities - large and small - have come together and adapted to support people through the COVID crisis is truly inspirational, and we are continuing to distribute funding, as quickly as possible, to where it is needed most.”

You can find out more about the Wakefield and District Carers'' Association on their website.