Dani McArthur, at the age of 19, dedicates all her spare time to caring for her younger sister and mother, who is also awaiting a liver transplant.

The former Barrhead High School pupil is currently juggling her daytime job as a childcare apprentice, while spending her spare time doing the household chores and caring for her family.

And while she admits that she has little to no time of her own, their are lifeline services in East Renfrewshire which can lend young adult carers like her a helping hand.

Dani attends The East Renfrewshire Carers’ Centre, which provides respite, training, trips and one-to-one support sessions to help them deal with their education, housing and employment.

And Dani believes the service has played a life-changing role in her life, and is encouraging other young carers to get involved.

She said: “Currently I am a young adult carer who looks after my mum, who is on the waiting list for a kidney and pancreas transplant and is on dialysis treatment at home, and my youngest sister.

“My sister isn’t well enough to go to school and my mum needs help with a lot of things, an I basically have to come home and do a lot of the household chores, cook and clean and care for my mum and sister’s needs.

“At the same time I am working as an apprentice in childcare, five days a week between 9am and 5pm.” Dani’s younger sister had a major operation, a heart transplant, in December last year that has left her too ill to attend school.

When Dani does have some spare time, she attends dance classes on Tuesdays, but she says this is her only regular activity outside of work and caring.

This is where East Renfrewshire Carers’ Centre comes in.

Dani explains: “The centre offers a bit of respite, as I don’t have an awful lot of free time, but the centre is there for young adult carers like me to drop in as and when we need to.

“It’s a great service, and even if you just want to go for a cup of coffee and talk things over they can do that.

“They also do a lot of group things where you can meet fellow carers and get to know each other.” And children and young adults across East Renfrewshire, like Dani, who are providing unpaid care for their family and loved ones will be among 20,000 young adult carers to have their lives transformed by a funding boost from Carers Trust.

East Renfrewshire Carers’ Centre was has been awarded almost £40,000 from Carers Trust to help young adult carers make life-changing decisions about their future.

Through its ‘Time for Change’ grants programme, Carers Trust is funding projects across the UK, targeting young adult carers aged 14-25 years.

These new grants will help to transform their lives by providing training, residential trips and one-to-one support sessions about education, health, housing and employment. Project workers will be making sure young adult carers understand their rights and get the steer they need to make choices in life - beyond their demanding caring roles.

Research shows that caring for a family member can have a huge impact on a young adult carer’s health, wellbeing and education.

Young adult carers aged between 16 and 18 years are also twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET). Recent census data reveals there are more than 30,000 young adult carers providing a shocking 50 hours, or more, of care each week.

And furthermore, some youngsters may not even realise they are carers or what services are available to help them.

Dani said: “Many people my age might not realise that they are classed as carers, and what places like the centre can do for them.

“I would urge them to get involved, because they don’t need to be alone in what they do, and a helping hand can really make a difference.” For more information about East Renfrewshire Carers Centre, give them a call on 638 4888, or pay them a visit at The Gatehouse, Eastwood Park, Rouken Glen Road, Giffnock.