THE New Forest Young Carers service has been given £590 from Waitrose Ringwood’s Community Matters fund.

Young Carers Coordinator Marie Shotbolt, who went to collect the cheque with a few of the young carers, said: “We are so grateful to the staff at Waitrose for selecting us to be one of their Community Matters charities, and to everyone who popped their green token in our box.

“We rely on donations and support like this to help us provide activities and trips for our young carers, so it makes a real difference.”

Finn, aged nine, said: “I got quite excited when I saw the big cheque and realised we could alter the amount but apparently it doesn’t work like that.

“Still £590 is a lot of money anyway and Young Carers will be able to have lots of trips for children like me now.”

The New Forest Young Carer Service is just one of the many services provided by Community First New Forest, aiming to improve quality of life for local people. The service currently works with almost 200 young carers and their families across the New Forest providing support, advice and activities.

For more information, or to offer your support, contact Marie on 01425 482773 or go to www.cfnf.org.uk. You can also find them on Facebook (New Forest Young Carers) or follow them on Twitter - @NF_YoungCarers.