Gloucestershire young carers describe role ahead of Children in Need
Three Cheltenham siblings describe caring for their younger brother Ben and the support they receive from Gloucestershire Young Carers, funded by BBC Children in Need, ahead of the appeal night.
How it was covered
- BBC One was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on the daily care given by three Cheltenham siblings and their respite support.
- Channel 5, BBC News, BBC Two, Channel 4, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
With less than 24 hours to go before the BBC Children in Need appeal night, BBC One West reported that Leah, Holly and Tom, three siblings from Cheltenham, are young carers for their younger brother Ben. According to the channel, Ben has a rare genetic condition that leaves him vulnerable to infection and needs support and physio several times a day, often provided by his siblings.
BBC One West reported that the siblings feel their role is often misunderstood. Leah told the channel that "a lot of people believe that if it's the siblings, it's not really caring. It's just being an older sister". She said meeting other young carers had helped her realise she could still go out with friends and do things she wanted to do.
According to BBC One West, the family is supported by Gloucestershire Young Carers, which offers support and respite activities to young people who look after family members. Leah said having that break made it easier to carry on every day. The channel reported that the group receives funding from BBC Children in Need.
BBC One West reported that Ben's mother described the support the family gets as often being a lifesaver for them. She said it gave the other children some time of their own and provided support for her, including helping to pick them up, get them to activities and obtain tickets for events.
BBC One West reported that Leah has written poems about her experiences as a young carer and performed them at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. The channel said she hopes to break down the myths around what she, Tom and Holly do to help Ben, and it described the reality of young caring in a very happy household.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Ben has a rare genetic condition that leaves him vulnerable to infection. | |
| Gloucestershire Young Carers receives funding from BBC Children in Need. | |
| Leah, Holly and Tom are young carers for Ben. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC One West gave the story a warm, personal treatment as part of its week-long Children in Need spotlight. It concentrated on the three siblings' daily care for Ben, the stigma they say comes with sibling caring and the respite and family support provided by Gloucestershire Young Carers. The report closed on Leah's poetry and the ordinary happiness of the household.
- “a lot of people believe that if it's the siblings, it's not really caring. It's just being an older sister”
- “the support the family get is often a lifesaver for them”
- “She hopes to break down the myths around what she Tom and Holly Do to help Ben”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.