This year we are celebrating Carers Week. This annual campaign is taking place from the 7th to the 13th of June. It aims to raise awareness of carers and highlight the challenges unpaid carers face. The organisation, Carers Week, focus on recognising the contributions carers make to families and communities across the UK.
The purpose of Carers Week
The purpose of the Carers Week campaign is to help people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and get access to all the information and support they need. The Carers Week organisation has a vast range of information on their website for support and guidance around being a carer.
The theme ‘Making Caring Visible and Valued’
This year, the organisation, Carers Week, has chosen the theme ‘Making Caring Visible and Valued’ to highlight the hard work of carers across the UK and grow awareness around what it means to be a carer. During the pandemic, many people have taken on more caring responsibilities than ever. Carers Week wants to recognise every carer for the difficulties they’ve faced and provide them with the support and information they need.
What is the definition of a Carer?
The Caring together organisation has created a definition of what a carer is. ‘A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a family member or friend who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction, cannot cope without their support.' If you’re looking for guidance and information about being a carer, the Carers Week and Caring together organisations have a vast range of resources on their website. Many carers in the UK don't get paid for the care they provide. However, you can choose to become a paid carer as a profession. We're always looking for healthcare assistants to join our team at Thornbury Community Services. If you would like to join us, register here today.
How you can show your support this year
This year, Carers Week is encouraging people to raise awareness of carers within the community, at work, and in the media. To support the campaign, you can pledge your support for Carers Week, download the resources from their website, and follow Carers Week on Facebook and Twitter.
To keep up to date with the latest Carers Week news and information, the organisation has a newsletter that you can sign up to here.
At Thornbury Community Services, we’re always supporting campaigns throughout the year. To keep up to date with what we're up to, follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.