A charity supporting young carers in Norfolk has received a sweet surprise in time for Easter after securing a donation of almost £100,000.

Norfolk Family Carers, which offers practical and emotional advice and support for young carers, was among 31 small charities nationally to receive a grant from Global, which runs radio stations including Heart and Capital.

The Norwich-based charity expected to get around £40,000 from the media group's Make Some Noise campaign, which supports projects dedicated to improving the lives of disabled or disadvantaged young people.

But its expectations have been far surpassed after an influx of donations to the campaign, with the organisation now set for a grant of £99,000.

The donation – announced on Heart Norfolk on Thursday – will help Norfolk Family Carers reach twice as many young carers as it currently does and provide more personalised support packages to help them balance their caring responsibilities with the rest of their lives.

Bev Townsend, young people's services manager at Norfolk Family Carers, said: 'Our team were so excited to receive the grant from Global's Make Some Noise.

'We were amazed and exceptionally grateful to be given a cheque for far more than we expected! Thanks so much Global's Make Some Noise, the team at Heart in Norwich and to everyone who donated money.

'We will now be able to extend our project and help twice as many young carers, giving them and their families a much-needed break and young adult carers some respite.'

Since its launch in 2014, Global's Make Some Noise campaign has raised more than £15m and supported 224 charities and projects, helping 73,000 children and young people and their families.

Over the next two years the funds raised throughout the 2018 appeal will provide nearly 18,000 hours of support for children and young people living with disabilities, including more than 5,700 hours of specialist support for children with autism, some 2,250 counselling and therapy sessions for those affected by mental health issues, and more than 6,300 hours of much-needed help for young carers as well as support for young people at risk of becoming homeless.