This year Carers Week runs from 9-15 June 2014 and this year the organisers are celebrating the 20th year of the event. 

The week is a partnership of nine charities: Age UK, Carers UK, Counsel & Care, Crossroads Care, Dementia UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Parkinson’s UK, and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.   The group was first formed in 2001 and now holds over 5000 events across the UK throughout Carers Week each year!

Throughout Carers Week the group aims to recognise the contribution carers make to local communities, lobby MPs and let carers know about the help and support that can be offered to them.

Every day 6,000 people take on a new caring role in the UK.  Across the UK there are 6.5 million people caring unpaid for an ill, frail or disabled family member or friend.  These people are called carers but they would probably say "I'm just being a husband, a wife, a mum, a dad, a son, a daughter, a friend or a good neighbour."

When people need help with their day-to-day living they often turn to their family and friends.  Looking after each other is something that we do.  We should all be prepared to care.

Carers help with personal things such as getting someone washed and dressed, turning them in their sleep, helping them move about or administering their medication.  Carers also help with things like shopping, laundry, cleaning, cooking, filling in forms or managing money.

Carers Week is a UK-wide annual awareness campaign. Its aim is to improve the lives of carers and the people they care for.  It does this by:

• Raising the profile of the role of caring in the national, regional and local media and encouraging groups and organisations to take part and organise events and activities.
• Helping the public identify themselves as carers and access the support, advice and information they need.
• Celebrating and recognise the contribution the UK’s 6.5 million carers make to the people they care for and their communities.
• Highlighting the challenges of caring and campaigning for sustainable funding for services and support for carers and the people they care for.

 Facts about Carers Week

• In 2014 they will be celebrating the 20th Carers Week.
• Last year, over 2,600 organisations registered to take part including most of Sainsbury’s stores.
• Over 12,000 events and activities planned throughout the UK during Carers Week 2014 including information events, roadshows, sponsored walks, tea parties and information displays.
• The campaign generates lots of national, regional and local media interest helping us reach millions of people in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV as well social media.
• Thousands of carers are helped during Carers Week to find out more about the services and support on offer to them locally and nationally.

Organisations and individuals throughout the UK are encouraged to sign up and support the Carers Week Quest by organising events, running information sessions and recognising the carers they work with or support.

For more information or to get involved visit the website at: http://www.carersweek.org/.  Always remember that one day you could need the care provided by these selfless people. 

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