Carers Week 2017

CARERS WEEK 2017 Building Carer Friendly Communities

 

12-18 JUNE 2017

 

Eight major charities have combined forces to get communities across the UK involved, encouraging people to register events and pledge support in the run-up to Carers Week 2017 (12-18 June) – a national awareness week that celebrates and recognises the vital contribution made by the 6.5 million people across the UK who currently provide unpaid care for a disabled, ill or older family member or friend. 

 

David Mowat MP, Minister for Community Health and Care, joined senior representatives from the Carers Week charities, NHS, local government and business to launch community engagement for Carers Week on 23rd February encouraging local organisations, the public and carers to get involved in the week and pledge their support to build Carer Friendly communities.

 

Carers Week helps the public to understand more about caring, highlights the challenges carers face and celebrates the contribution carers make to their families and communities throughout the UK. The campaign galvanises support from all corners of society, including individuals, local organisations, businesses, politicians and the media. It will also be a time of intensive local activity with thousands of events taking place across the UK.

 

Caring can be a rewarding experience but without the right support many carers find themselves facing financial hardship, ill-health, emotional stress, relationship breakdown and isolation. 

 

Carers Week 2017 will again focus on building Carer Friendly Communities – places that understand a carer’s daily reality and do what they can to make life a little bit easier for them. For example, a GP practice might offer appointment times that fit around someone’s caring responsibilities, or an employer might support employees who juggle work with care to work flexible hours or take time off. 

 

Keith Bowen, Director of Carers Wales on behalf of Carers Week, said:

“Carers Week is a fantastic way to celebrate the vital contribution carers make to our families, communities and wider society. We know that caring for a loved one can be a rewarding experience, but without the right support at the right time, caring can also have a huge impact on a carer’s emotional and physical health, work and finances.

 

“Carers have told us that it makes a huge difference to their lives when they are supported by their local services and communities; building Carer Friendly communities, whether that’s offering a flexible GP appointment, having flexible working policies or raising awareness in schools of caring, can make a positive difference. 

 

“We want the public to recommend Carer Friendly communities and urge everyone to pledge their support to carers and make a change.” 

 

There are lots of different ways to get involved in Carers Week: 

· Visit the Carers Week website www.carersweek.org and:

 

Carers Week 2017 is made possible by Carers UK joining forces with Age UK, Carers Trust, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, Motor Neurone Disease Association, MS Society and Which? Elderly Care and kindly supported by Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition and the Lockwood Foundation. 

 

For more information, visit: www.carersweek.org