A young carer from Ayr who is devoted to her disabled brother says Girlguiding gives her the chance to “forget her worries and enjoy being in the moment”. 

Heather McKinlay, 12, from Ayr, helps her parents to look after her beloved brother Connor, who has cerebral palsy and requires constant supervision. 

As well as watching over the 11-year-old when her parents are busy, Heather helps with the tidying up, hoovering, putting the washing away and meal preparation at home. 

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Outside of school, Heather’s weekly sessions at Guides – the Girlguiding section for those aged 10-14 – offer her the opportunity to relax, enjoy herself and hang out with her friends. 

Heather said: “Going to Guides gives me the chance to have fun and not worry about things at home.

“I forget about everything else while I’m there and enjoy being in the moment. 

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“I’ve made lots of new friends at Guides and love earning badges and learning new things."

A wheelchair-user, Connor is non-verbal and has no danger awareness.  

“Connor is my favourite person in the world and I love him so much,” Heather continued.

“He’s normally happy and smiley, and loves to interact with people even though he can’t talk.

"He’s always there to give me a hug. 

“I spend a lot of time with him playing games, teaching him Makaton sign language and generally making sure he’s OK when my parents are busy at home.

“I think I do have more worries than most children my age.

“I think about Connor a lot when he’s at school in case something happens to make him unhappy.

“But it means that my time when I go to Guides is extra special because I can just switch off completely from all of that and have fun.” 

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Heather started in Girlguiding as a Brownie at the age of seven, and then moved on to Guides. 

She said: “Recently at Guides we spent a weekend camping in tents, learnt about climate change and played dodgeball amongst loads of other fun stuff.

"There is a lot of variety and it's great that we get a chance to try so many new things.” 

While Heather loves her brother unconditionally, she is aware that her life is different to the majority of her peers. 

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“It’s all I’ve ever known and it’s just normal to me, but I know most other children my age have more spare time than I do,” Heather continued.

“It’s not something that bothers me though because Connor makes me really happy.” 

The siblings live with their mum Shona, a full-time carer, and dad Billy, a warehouse supervisor. 

Shona says that there is no pressure on Heather to help at home.

“Connor adores Heather and she feels the same about him," she said.

"He always comes first in her book, but we make sure she knows that there’s nothing she has to do at home.

"It’s not her job or responsibility; it’s mine and her dad’s. 

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“We certainly have our disagreements, as with any other 12-year-old, but she just gets on with it, 99 per cent of the time with a smile on her face. She’s amazing.” 

Her parents are also very mindful of helping to alleviate Heather’s concerns. 

“She worries about what will happen in five or ten years’ time,” said Shona.

“She’s still young but often has an older head on her shoulders.

"Heather says things like she will go to the local university when the time comes so she can stay near to Connor.

"She always has him at the back of her mind, but we do everything we can to take the weight away from her.” 

With her parents encouraging Heather to enjoy as many after-school clubs as time and finances allow, she also goes to swimming , drama and a young carers’ group. 

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Shona continued: “Heather has fun at all of her clubs but Guides is especially great because it gives her the chance to do so many activities that we can’t do as a family."

“We can’t go anywhere too noisy or busy with Connor, and it’s very difficult to travel with him. Heather especially loves going away on camp with Guides because of this.

"I’m so happy for her that she gets the chance to have adventures and learn skills for life.” 
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Gillian Hay, leader of 12th Ayr Guides, said: “Heather is a lovely girl and we are delighted that she gets so much from coming to Guides.

"It was great to see her enjoying a weekend of fresh air and fun with her friends on our recent camp.

"We look forward to many more happy times ahead.”