Prized Clarets shirts up for grabs in raffle to raise funds for party to boost spirits of carers in Burnley, Pendle and Ribble Valley

The shirts belong to dedicated Clarets fan Chris Flynn who has donated them to the raffle being run by his wife Diane who works for the charity Carers Link Lancashire.

A carers review and support officer and volunteer co ordinator, Diane is planning a special 'Victory over the Virus' party at the end of the pandemic for the many carers across Burnley, Pendle, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn.

And to raise funds for it she came up with the idea for the raffle. She kicked it off by offering a football signed by the current team as the top prize and then Chris, who is the biochemistry manager for East Lancs Hospitals NHS Trust, came up with idea to include the shirts which include some retro and vintage ones.

Tickets are £5 for five and if yours is drawn you can choose which shirt you would like.

Diane said: "There are some really sought after shirts in Chris' collection."

Carers Link suppprts around 11,500 carers in total. The youngest is six and the oldest is a 100-year-old lady who cares for her 98-year-old husband.

All the services Carers Links offers, such as the weekly carers' cafe, have now all gone virtual to provide a lifeline for them.

Diane said: "We are keeping in touch with the carers to keep their spirits up and also put them in touch with other support services they may need.

" People are struggling even more than usual - being an unpaid carer is no easy task and not a very appreciated one most of the time.

"I wanted to raise funds to hold a big 'Carers Victory over the Virus Party' whuch will be a big celebration at the end of all this madness to show appreciation to all those who have been through this time - often on their own with little help or respite.

"Something to look forward to for all our unpaid carers."