Devon Carers, a free service by Westbank Community Health and Care, is this month celebrating 25 years of supporting unpaid carers across the county and is planning several events throughout the coming year as part of its landmark anniversary.  The charity provides a wide range of support services to those who look after family members or friends because they are ill, frail, or have a disability, mental health or substance misuse problem.   Over the last two and a half decades, Westbank’s Devon Carers has grown to be one of the largest charitable organisations in the UK helping adult and young carers; 28,000 adults across the county (excluding Plymouth and Torbay) are currently registered with Devon Carers, and around 2,500 under eighteen-year-olds are registered with Devon Young Carers.  What started as a small group supporting carers locally in Exminster, near Exeter, has expanded to cover Devon from coast to coast. The service continues to grow with thousands of carers joining each year, on average 200 – 300 per month. Andy Hood, Head of Devon Carers says, “There’s been a big increase over the last 25 years in terms of the support services we provide to carers, but we have big ambitions to…