Christmas approaches. But what kind of festive season will it be for the hundreds of thousands of young carers in the UK who have to look after sick or disabled parents? With little if any help from the state, they’re overlooked and overworked. It wasn’t just children in Dickens who lost their childhoods.

But you and your company could make a difference.

We think you’ll want to support our Christmas appeal, launched in the Sunday Times Magazine on November 25 and continuing until the end of the year in the magazine, the newspaper and on Times Online.

How? Join the “They Care Too” Club. Depending on the scale of your donation, we will thank you as a member of the club in our pages and display your logo.

Your money will help ensure that young carers get a Christmas this year and support into 2008 with the help of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers: centres across the UK which provide support, advice and counselling will remain open; young carers will get a break from their caring responsibilities; we’ll launch a new initiative in schools to find hundreds of hidden carers throughout the UK. (We need to send packs to every school and you may want to fund that directly).

Join the club and find out more. E-mail: theycarecampaign@sundaytimes.co.uk

SUPERMARKET SWEEP

Up to 2,000 Sainsbury's staff will be collecting money for the Sunday Times Christmas appeal.

Collections start on December 17 and run until December 24, ensuring that all 489 Sainsbury's supermarkets and its 300 local convenience stores are visited by the teams. Sainsbury¹s has also pledged nearly £200,000 in additional support for The 'They Care: We Think You Will Too' campaign.

The supermarket is donating:

£200 Christmas party hampers for the 83 Princess Royal Trust for Carers centres that support young carers.

15,500 vouchers worth £10 to be distributed among young carers attending The Princess Royal Trust for Carers' centres.

Sainsbury's will also give an extra £1 to the appeal for every cheque received that includes the donor's address. Details will be used to send out Gift Aid forms to sign and return, allowing the government to add 28p for every £1 of your donation at no extra cost to you.

Send cheques made payable to The Princess Royal Trust for Carers to: The Sunday Times Appeal c/o The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Unit 14, Bourne Court, Southend Road, Woodford Green, IG8 8HD. Find out more about The Princess Royal Trust for Carers www.carers.org - and young carers, www.youngcarers.net