top of page
The Letter with the Golden Stamp
Illustrated by Pippa Curnick
Deep in the heart of Swansea, Wales, lives a small girl with a huge secret to keep.
A secret that calls on her to be one of the best actresses on the planet. Because no-one must ever know that she is the sole carer for her increasingly sick mam and her two younger siblings.
Or a seasoned thief.
As her worlds become increasingly threatened by the arrival of a mysterious neighbour, it's time for Audrey to use all her cunning – and her beloved stamp collection – to help save her Mam.
Celebrating the hidden army of Young Carers across the UK keeping their loved ones alive behind closed doors, and the everyday s/heroes that surround them, The Letter with the Golden Stamp delves into the fears and hopes of Young Carers everywhere, and the invisible sources of kindness knocking on all our doors.
DID YOU KNOW?
1. The majority of Young Carers globally are GIRLS (nearly 58% in the UK alone). This may explain why so many Young Carers are not identified or acknowledged for their works, despite saving national economies BILLIONS of £s. And why so many girls and young women are missing from all stages of education.
2. The true figures for the number of non-White children who are Young Carers in the UK is UNKNOWN. This is because the majority are overlooked / not identified for their caring roles, and so are not accessing crucial services to aid them in their own daily needs and self-care.
3. Onjali became a Young Carer at the age of 15 when her father became paralysed from the neck down. However, because she had never heard of 'Young Carers' and did not know other children were Young Carers too, she and her brother never accessed any assistance for this difficult time in their lives.
4. Psssssst... Yup! Onjali is a philatelist too (that's someone who loves to collect stamps and anything else to do with the Royal Mail / post) – just like Audrey. And yes, she loves Wales too – having spent most of her summers in Gower Bay and Swansea, and having gone to university in Aberystwyth.
IF YOU are a Young Carer or know of a Young Carer in the UK, you can find out all about local Young Carer groups, activities, grants, respite access, festivals and how to get help at Carers Trust UK.
IF YOU are a Teacher or the Head of a school and do NOT have a Young Carers group to assist your pupils, please take a look HERE into how to set one up.
With at least 1 in 7 children estimated to be Young Carers, and the majority of non-White children NOT accessing crucial help, Young Carer School Groups are crucial to the mental, physical and emotional well-being of many students in charge of caring for their (often long-term) sick and elderly loved ones on the homefront.
bottom of page