A CHARITY which helps carers has been awarded more than £160,000 to set up a counselling service to provide them with further support.

Crossroads, based in Oswaldtwistle, already recruits and promotes trained care assistants to provide respite for carers in the borough.

Around 100 registered carers are now in contact with the Union Road-based charity.

But the new money from a lottery grant, which will be divided over a three year period, is to be spent finding new premises to hold counselling sessions and to pay for trained counsellors to help carers. Eileen Scott, chairman of the Hyndburn Crossroads scheme, said: "We are delighted that we have now got this money to extend the service.

"It will be used to provide support for carers that we have not been able to offer before as this will be more about emotional support.

"It will be a new way of offering help to carers who have been ill-equipped to cope or have low level mental health problems such as depression.

"Rather than give them a diet of drugs there is a already a network of counsellors available through Communicare and GPs but this scheme will be directed specifically at carers and the problems they contend with."

Currently the charity works to relieve the stresses experienced by carers and the people they care for by offering a respite service in addition to services provided by statutory services.

Carers are often restricted from going out and doing things by themselves because they spend the majority of their time with someone who has a physical, mental or sensory impairment.

But Crossroads' care attendants can ease the burden by helping with day-to-day practicalities.

The charity is run by a voluntary management committee and is funded partly through statutory services and partly through fundraising and donations.

Margaret Kerr, manager of Hyndburn Crossroads, said: "Carers are unsung heroes. The allocation of this money is very important as carers often need someone to turn to themselves.

"It can be very trying for them and can make them feel isolated which can lead to stress and anxiety so they often need someone to talk to who understands and can help."