For 27 young carers from Maybury Primary School, a trip to the seaside brought a simple but unforgettable experience – feeling sand beneath their feet and paddling in the sea for the first time.

The children, aged between five and 11, were given the chance to enjoy a day of sun, sand and sea thanks to funding from the Rotary Club of Woking District.

For many of the pupils, who help care for family members with disabilities, health needs or elderly relatives, the trip provided a rare opportunity to step away from their responsibilities at home and enjoy some much-needed respite.

Della Sullivan, assistant head teacher at Maybury Primary School, said: “For very many of the children who attended this trip it was their first time actually seeing the sea, playing barefoot on the sand and experiencing the feel of sea water.

“Before the trip, many of the children did not actually have a full understanding of what the word ‘paddling’ meant.”

The school supports a large number of young carers within its community, helping children who often face challenges and miss out on experiences that others may take for granted.

Alongside its weekly drop-in support group, Maybury Primary also runs regular Saturday morning cinema sessions to provide a safe space for young carers and their families.

David Colbeck, president of Woking District Rotary Club, said the school was particularly deserving of support.

“This particular school has an exceptional need for this sort of support, but there is very limited funding available from the local authority which restricts what it can do by itself,” he said.

“We were delighted to be able to step in and fund this initiative in its entirety. This is just the latest in a series of projects we have supported this deserving school with in previous years.”