Unpaid carers make their voices heard on Carers Rights Day

People who look after their relatives or friends were asked: “What are the biggest challenges for you as a carer?” and “What would make your life as a carer easier?”

The charity Carers’ Resource held events at its offices in Skipton, as well as in Harrogate and Shipley, as part of the national Carers Rights Day.

North Yorkshire Council and Bradford Council are currently developing new strategies for unpaid carers, and Carers’ Resource wants to ensure that the voices of people looking after relatives and friends are heard.

Carers were keen to share their thoughts; many spoke of the issues they face daily. Comments included: “The system is broken,”; “The biggest challenge is knowing where to go and who will help you get the support you need to help you care,” and: “Voluntary carers are treated as ‘nothing’.”

Many carers talked about the difficulty of getting respite care, or any time to themselves. One carer said: “As an unpaid carer full time, I go hungry every lunchtime. I care for my mum 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

Jenny Cornish, head of communications and engagement at Carers’ Resource, said: “We were delighted to welcome so many carers to our events for Carers Rights Day. They had some very powerful stories to tell about the challenges of their caring responsibilities, and what could help them to cope better.

“Carers’ voices are crucial and we want to make sure they are heard by local councils and health authorities.

“We will be passing on all comments, anonymously, to local authorities, and hope that this will have an impact on their strategies for supporting carers in the future.”

Any carers who would still like to contribute to the conversation, can visit www.carersresource.org/carers-rights-day and share their stories using the website form, or email engage@carersresource.org To find out more about Carers’ Resource, go to www.carersresource.org, email info@carersresource.org or call 0808 50 15 939.