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Carers Week| is organised by eight leading charities, including Macmillan, to highlight and celebrate the contribution made by the UK's six million carers.
This year the week will take place on 10-16 June, and we’re hoping it will be the biggest yet.
You may not think of yourself as a carer. You may say ‘I'm just being their husband, partner, daughter or friend ...’ Yet the support you provide is vital: from helping with shopping, dressing, or taking them to the hospital, to being there when they need to talk.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are over one million people in the UK in a similar situation – people who look after someone with cancer who couldn’t manage without that help.
We know that without the right support, providing this care can have a big impact on you – physically, emotionally, and financially. We’re here to support you. As part of what we do for youwe run, promote and support events for Carers Week.
There are over 1 million people in the UK who look after someone with cancer, However, many people don’t identify themselves as carers, and aren’t accessing the support available. That’s why Carers Week is so important.
Initially I suppose I didn’t see myself as a carer because it was a father-daughter relationship. That’s why events like Carers Week are absolutely vital. Anne, who cared for her father
Initially I suppose I didn’t see myself as a carer because it was a father-daughter relationship. That’s why events like Carers Week are absolutely vital.
Anne, who cared for her father
This year Carers Week is asking people if they’re prepared to care. As well as helping to make sure those already looking after someone with cancer are accessing all the support they need, we’ll be asking whether the wider population would feel prepared to take on a caring role. We’ll also be looking at whether the government is doing enough to support the growing numbers of carers in the UK.
Events will be taking place all around the country, and will include everything from social activities, such as pub quizzes, picnics and pampering sessions, to expert information and support events. Please visit carersweek.org| to find an event near you.
Join us for Carers Week 2013 and show that you care.
There are loads of ways you can get involved, whether you’re attending an event or hosting one yourself.
Hosting an event is the ideal opportunity to reach out to carers and let them know about the support available. We can help you when you’re planning your event by offering free resources and promotional materials. And if you register on the Carers Week website|, you’ll also receive regular updates and support from the Carers Week team, including free promotion of your event on the Carers Week website. When you’re registered carers will be able to search for details of your event, so please let us know what you’ve got planned.
I try to arrange these events quite often. It also gives both parties a chance to mingle and understand the challenges that both carers and professionals face and how to address solutions. Benny held a great Carers Week event last year
I try to arrange these events quite often. It also gives both parties a chance to mingle and understand the challenges that both carers and professionals face and how to address solutions.
Benny held a great Carers Week event last year
Benny Millier is Cancer information and Support Service Manager at the Croydon University Hospital, where she has been based since August 2008. Benny works alongside a team of six volunteers, who help her to answer calls and provide information and advice to cancer patients and carers in the community.
Benny and her team organised a really successful event last year. There were professionals on hand to answers questions and give advice. There was also a band that played music, lots of refreshments provided by members of the group, and they even had the Boot’s No7 team handing out makeovers. It was a really enjoyable event and the feedback was so positive from everyone involved.
Visit our be.Macmillan| website to access free promotional posters, a step-by-step guide to running an event and a range of free information resources.
For Carers Week 2013, we asked you to tell us about your experiences of caring. Thank you to everyone who completed our survey, which is now closed. We'll be letting you know what we found over the next few weeks.
We have more information about all the ways Macmillan supports carers of people with cancer|.
For answers, support or just a chat, call the Macmillan Support Line free (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm)
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