A 14-year-old carer from Harrogate spent a special day with her family at the Duchess of Cambridge’s Christmas carol concert at Westminster Abbey.

Jasmine Clark was among a group of community heroes invited to the service this month to thank them for their efforts during the pandemic.

Jasmine is a carer for her 15-year-old brother Dylan, who has Williams syndrome, a developmental disorder.  She has also helped her mum Sophia, who has suffered from mental health problems during the pandemic.

Sophia said the day was “so emotional and overwhelming”, adding:

“I was in tears all day, it was a very proud moment.”

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The family has been supported by the charity Action for Children.

Rossett School

Sophia said her daughter has been the “the rock between us all” during a difficult time.

“She’s been there in so many ways. I don’t know where we’d be without her.”

Jasmine, who is in year nine at Harrogate’s Rossett School, said “it felt amazing” to attend the service, which included performances from the Westminster Abbey choir, Leona Lewis and Ellie Goulding.

She added:

“I was so happy to get the opportunity to go and see Kate and William.”

The concert will be shown on ITV at 7:30pm tonight.

A Harrogate charity which has been providing a helpline for NHS and care workers has been given a grant to extend its support to “blue light” emergency services.

Just ‘B’, one of the services offered by Saint Michael’s Hospice, has been providing support for people working on the frontline since April. The service provides bereavement, trauma and emotional wellbeing support to key workers, alongside national charity Hospice UK.

The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has granted nearly £1.8 million to charities to support the frontline community. The money will allow Saint Michael’s to extend its support to all emergency service workers for a further two years.

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Tony Collins, the Chief Executive of Saint Michael’s Hospice said:

“We are delighted to be able to extend this service to support our colleagues in the NHS, social care sector and emergency services. We know that they have been dealing with some of the most challenging situations imaginable.”

Just ‘B’ is made up of a team or trained and qualified volunteers and staff.

Speaking about the new grant, The Duchess of Cambridge said:

“Over recent months we have all been in awe of the incredible work that frontline staff and emergency responders have been doing in response to COVID-19, but we know that for many of them, their families, and for thousands of others across the UK, the pandemic will have a lasting impact on their mental health.”

The helpline is available to all ages and lines are open between 8am-8pm, seven days a week.