CHILDREN in Warrington as young as six are taking on levels of responsibility usually associated with an adult.

But the Warrington Guardian’s charity of the month WIRED Young Carers Service is on hand to help support both children and teenagers who are caring for a loved one.

Teenager Hannah Khan has been a young carer since the age of eight but didn’t even realise she had taken on more responsibility than her friends until she visited WIRED.

The 18-year-old from Stockton Health has cared for her grandma Santosh Nagi, aged 62, for ten years while juggling her school and social life.

She said: “At the time I didn’t really know what was going on and that I was doing more than other people my age.

“But WIRED gave me the chance to release any stress I have. It helps talking to other people who are going through the same thing I am.”

When she isn’t completing her digital marketing apprenticeship, Hannah will be cooking tea for her family or looking after her grandma.

The stresses and strains of life as a young carer snowballed about two years ago when her grandma suffered a mental breakdown.

She added: “I was going through a few problems myself. So with all that going on I decided to look for some charities or just someone that could help me and that’s when I found WIRED.”

Without the help from WIRED, Hannah would have struggled to cope with the additional pressure piled on her due to her caring role.

Now she feels a sense of relief that there is a support system in place who can help her when times get tough or when she simply needs someone to talk to.

For more information about WIRED e-mail wcschildrens1@wired.me.uk or call 633492.

Next week: We take a look at the support groups and services offered by WIRED