Ella works incredibly hard to balance Beavers with being a young Carer.

At Beavers, Ella likes to play games, taking part fun activities, getting lots of badges, making new friends, and going on trips, hikes and camps. Ella always helps the younger children in her Colony, too.

Ella’s help doesn’t stop there. At home, Ella helps mum with her walking and get her things that she can’t pick up. She helps make toast when she’s having a bad day, gets her mum a drink, loads the dishwasher and helps sort out the washer. She also helps mum with personal care when she struggles to bend or straightens her mum’s knee when it hurts her to move it.

Beavers has helped her to look after her mum, too. She’s learned first aid, knows how to make telephone calls and the cooking badge has helped her feel confident in the kitchen.

Ella’s fantastic work doesn’t just happen at home, Ella’s community minded, too. She has recently completed a read-athon, raising £160 for books for children in hospices in her region.

She recommends the Rainbow Fairy collection by Daisy Meadows, the Hairy Maclary books by Lynley Dodd (especially ‘Hairy Maclary from Donaldson Dairy’), any Julia Donaldson books (especially ‘A Squash and a Squeeze’ and ‘Room on the Broom’) and ‘The Creature Choir’ by David Walliams.

Ella’s just started reading the ‘The Sea Challenge’ from the A Bear Grylls Adventure series, too. 

Ella says it can be tough helping mum when she needs it, but they still make time for enjoying spending time together, going on family days out and visiting restaurants. 

So, what would Ella say to other young carers, just like her? She says, ‘You’re doing a good job and keep it up, but allow time for yourself too and do activities with other young carers.’