Carers Week this year runs from the 6th-12th June, with a theme of “Make caring visible, valued and supported”.
But what exactly is carers week?
Carers week is an annual campaign that raises awareness of carers and the challenges that they face, as well as recognising and celebrating the contributions that they have made across the UK. It also aims to offer support to carers who may need it, especially those that do not identify as carers but still have caring responsibilities with family or friends.
Did you know…?
There is an estimated 10.5 million people who are now supporting or caring for an elderly, disabled or seriously ill relative or loved one.
This equates to around one adult in 5 having caring duties.
With unpaid carers becoming more prevalent in the UK raising awareness and offering support to those individuals is crucial, as many of them will be facing huge challenges with the cost of living crisis that is happening. Even paid carers have been working more often over the past few years whilst dealing with restrictions and lockdowns, and they are also being hit with the cost-of-living crisis.
To read the stories that some unpaid carers have shared of their own experiences, or if you are an unpaid carer yourself who would like to share your story this week, you can use the below link:
carers.org/what-we-do-carers-stories/carers-stories
All of this goes to show that it is more important than ever for this campaign to highlight and celebrate the fantastic job that these caring individuals are doing, and if you want to join in with the activities being held this carers week just check the following link to see how you can help or join in with the activities: