YOU may be interested to know that one in ten of this newspaper’s readers are carers in Herefordshire. Without payment they provide support to a relative or friend who could not manage otherwise because of frailty, illness or disability - some are as young as five years old.

Carers’ contribution is enormous - not only do they give their time, employment and future aspirations to care, they save the nation an estimated £87 billion a year. But the vast majority of carers reamin ‘hidden’ and lacking in any support from health or social services. Without support the strain of caring 24/7 can lead to carers suffering physical and mental breakdowns.

That is why Herefordshire Carers Support affiliated with The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, called on MPs Bill Wiggin and Jesse Norman in Herefordshire to support the proposed Carers Bill on Wednesday, July 14 to increase identification and support for carers.

We also urge your readers to back this campaign by writing to their MP by visiting www.carers.org If we want to build a society that cares, we must support carers.