PEOPLE looking after children in their family, whose parents are unable to care for them themselves, are invited to join a local support group.
Kinship carers may be grandparents looking after their grandchildren, uncles, siblings, or someone with a close link to youngsters in their care.
Kinship Carers is a friendship and support group for people in the Wokingham, Bracknell and Reading areas.
Carol and Paul Wassell, kinship carers themselves, run the group which currently meets on the first Wednesday of each month.
Paul Wassell said: “We were at the recent Wokingham Local Offer Live event for families with SEND children, explaining the peer support that people can find by joining the group.
“Around one in 10 of those who came to chat with us were kinship carers, and we really hope that they will come along and join us.
“Kinship carers are not necessarily very visible, and it can be quite hard to get to know other people with a similar experience – you don’t necessarily find peer support easily.
“I train people to ride motorbikes to a high standard, and when I got chatting with one of the riders, it turned out that he is a kinship carer too.
“But if we hadn’t talked, neither of us would have known we shared that experience.”
For peer support, friendship, and to chat with people who understand kinship caring, join Paul and Carol Wassell and other carers at their coffee morning events.
The next meeting is at The Cornerstone, Wokingham, on Wednesday, November 1, from 10am until 11.30am.
Due to the sensitive nature of conversations, children are not able to join the meetings.
For information, call Paul: 07427463566 or SE regional organiser, Tracy Wilding: 07518291739, email: tracy.wilding@kinship.org.uk.
