I was keen to use this month’s column to highlight the Torfaen Young Carers ‘Christmas Fayre’, taking place at the Cwmbran Stadium on the 8th December, between 11am and 4pm.

There’ll be craft stalls selling handmade items and Christmas gifts on the day, as well as a Father Christmas Grotto, and a range of fun prize stalls.

Recent figures from the ONS suggest that Wales has more 5 to 17 year olds providing unpaid care than any of the United Kingdom’s nations and regions. Indeed, the 2011 census found there were 11,555 young carers in Wales – that’s 7.6% more than a decade ago.

And while there is growing awareness of the many challenges they face, as well as their massive social and economic contribution to society - in many ways they remain hidden from view.

Often this is due to the kind of stigmas attached to the people they care for; they may have parents or siblings suffering with drug and alcohol problems, for example, or who have physical disabilities, or problems with their mental health.

This leads to a fear of being labelled or bullied, and can make it hard for young carers to socialise in ways other young people can take for granted. Indeed, simply having a friend over for tea can be impossible for a young carer – and they may not have spare time in the evenings to socialise with friends.

Fear of outside intervention can be another barrier to young carers accessing help and support. Often they are reluctant to let friends or teachers know about their situation because they are worried it might lead to their family being split up.

Having caring responsibilities can also seriously impact life chances. In fact, the Carers Trust estimate that at least a third of young carers have serious educational problems, with many leaving school without any qualifications.

Indeed, if young carers have household responsibilities and chores to complete in the evenings, it can be impossible for them to find the time and space to do homework - or they may simply be too physically exhausted. This can have a knock on effect on young carers own health and wellbeing, with 4.4% of carers who provide more than 20 hours care per week describing their own health as ‘not good’.

If you live in Torfaen, and you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please contact the Torfaen Young Carers service on 01495762200.