Carers Support West Sussex urges people to ‘make caring visible’ by shining a light on family and friend carers during Carers Week 2020

Carers Support West Sussex urges the local community to ‘make caring visible’ by shining a light on family and friend carers during Carers Week 2020 (June 8-14).
Shining a light on carersShining a light on carers
Shining a light on carers

It’s a little-known fact that, statistically, people within the West Sussex area will know a carer, as latest figures show that 10% of the population – that’s 89,000 people - currently undertake the role of unpaid carer for a friend or family member.

What’s more, three out of five of us will become a carer at some point.

With the role of carer so intrinsically linked to our everyday, Carers Week 2020 is the perfect time to celebrate and support those vital carers within our local community.

Carers Support West SussexCarers Support West Sussex
Carers Support West Sussex

Here, the region’s leading carer-focused charity, Carers Support West Sussex (CSWS), digs a little deeper into why this awareness week is so important.

“The role of unpaid carer can often feel socially isolating, but we want these carers to know that they are not alone,” said CSWS’s Chief Executive, Sonia Mangan.

“The aim of Carers Week is to shine the light on these carers, including the many young and young adult carers, to celebrate them and to educate others on the incredibly selfless work they undertake every day.

“We also hope throughout the week to engage with even more carers throughout the region, either through one of our special online events, or via the CSWS support network.

“Seeking help or assistance should not be considered a shameful act, and we hope that our ongoing activities, including Carers Week, will help to boost the pride and recognition of carers in our local community, enabling them to reach out to organisations such as ourselves.

“We ask you, the wider public, to also get involved in Carers Week and support the wider ‘West Sussex Together’ initiative. Everyone has a part to play in making sure these carers are seen, heard, and understood; and in helping them to get the support they need.”

Amanda Jupp, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health, added “It is so important for us to recognise the contribution of every single family and friend carer and what they do day in day out to support their loved ones, particularly during this dreadful pandemic that has affected carers far greater than most.

“It is vital for people to know that we are still here for them if they need help and support. I urge those who care for others to try to set aside some time to look after their own health and wellbeing and make use of all the excellent support that is available from Carers Support West Sussex.”

To celebrate and pay homage to registered carers during Carers Week, CSWS has collaborated with some local organisations who support and recognise the fantastic work of carers to produce a programme of online events.

Activities will include:

Cookery demos

Put yourself first as a carer – tips from a carer life coach

Portraiture drawing workshop

Resilience course for parent carers

Chichester Festival Theatre have produced some exclusive carer-focussed workshops

A webinar about affordable and kind nutrition for carers

Full details on how to sign up to these events can be found here. Space is limited so interested parties are urged to register their interest now to avoid disappointment.

Need support? You can call the CSWS Response Line on 0300 0288888.

Related topics: