IMAGINE what it would be like, as a single mother, to look after three severely handicapped children. Or to be 12-years-old and have to care for a sick parent while your teachers are demanding you get your homework in on time.

These are the stark, often untold, realities faced by thousands of Harrow residents every day. According to the 2001 census, more than 25,000 Harrovians care for somebody who is frail, disabled or ill. Many receive no help, either practical or financial.

Maria Murphy-Price, chief executive of the charity Carers' Support Harrow, reckons that means there are about 23,000 "hidden carers" in the borough, people who lead silent, schizophrenic double lives, struggling with the pressures of work, or even school, while being forced to care for sick loved ones.

The unrelenting mental and physical hardship this brings can lead many into depression, alcohol and drug abuse or worse. Yet, a vast number of such people are either unaware that help is available or simply ignorant of the fact that they qualify as carers.

Maria, whose organisation offers a multitude of services and support for unpaid carers, wants to help more people trapped in this terrible bind.

"We have about 2,000 carers registered on our database but there are 25,124 in Harrow," she said. "We want the other 23,000 to come forward because we can help make their lives easier.

"Lots of people don't identify themselves as carers, they just think they are doing their duty to their family."

Based in Pinner Green, with a full-time staff of 10 and about 20 volunteers, Carers' Support Harrow throws many tired and desperate people a lifeline. Using a £300,000 annual grant from Harrow Council, the group advises carers on claiming the benefits to which they are entitled, represent their interests to employers, provide counselling, organise outings, bring carers together and much more.

It also runs a volunteer project through which, each year, two overseas gap-year students offer respite to carers of disabled children. This year, two 18-year-old Australians, Torie Brown and Phoebe Burgoyne-Scutts, have been putting in 35-hour weeks in exchange for lodgings at the Millmans Resource Centre in Pinner, and a small weekly allowance.

The hard-working pair leave in August, but Maria is delighted with the contributions they have made.

She said: "They have been an absolute joy, offering thousands of hours of respite to parents who just couldn't afford it otherwise."

As Carers' Support is a small organisation, everybody pitches in. But the whole team agrees there is one group who needs the support more than most: young carers.

Samantha Reile, the young carers development worker, said: "Young carers are children or young people aged between 12 and 16 who care for a family member with a physical illness, disability, mental health problem or dependency on alcohol or drugs.

"It's hard for them to have normal childhoods and many of them don't have time to make friends at school, or are bullied.

"We started a project last year to pinpoint young carers. Since then we have gone to 10 high schools in Harrow, and sent letters to teachers, asking them to look out for young carers and refer them to us.

"It's hard to get young carers involved as they are so busy, so going through schools is vital."

The emphasis is on giving the young carers a break and some much-needed emotional release. They regularly go out as a group, meeting other youngsters in the same position.

Samantha said: "They often go bowling together. It gives them the chance to talk about the situations they're in. They make friends very easily."

The young carers will also get involved in Harrow Community Radio (87.7FM), which will be run from the Carers' Support Centre by the charity Community Link-Up from August 3 to 30.

They will be on-air three or four times a week, hosting a show Calling all Carers with music and discussions.

To get in touch with Carers' Support Harrow, call 020 8868 5224 or visit www.carers.org/harrow.