A Maldon charity for young carers is starting up a monthly lottery to raise funds to support the many new referrals it has had during the pandemic.

Action for Carers, based in Brickhouse Farm, Poulton Close, wants to start the monthly draw next month if it can get enough people to sign up.

A spokesperson for Action for Carers said: "As a charity the services we provide are free to carers. The pandemic has seen a rise in the number of referrals we have received but unfortunately there has not been any substantial extra funding available to us.

"For most carers the pandemic has been very challenging as most respite services have had to be stopped meaning that carers are not getting a break from their caring role, this has in turn had a detrimental effect on some carers' mental health.

"The lottery is very important to us as we hope that over time it will give us a regular income that can be used to support carers of all ages as well as giving those taking part a chance to win some cash every month. Unlike most lotteries we are not aiming to get thousands of entries so your chances of winning will be greatly improved. We only need 50 sign-ups before 1 March for the lottery to go ahead."

You can find out more about the lottery and sign up using the link here.