MORE than six million people in the UK care, unpaid, for a disabled, older or ill family member or friend. Whilst caring can be rewarding, without the right support, it can also take a serious toll on a carer’s health, relationships and finances.

That’s why, this Carers Week (June 12-18), we are asking individuals and communities up and down the UK to do what they can to make life that little bit easier for carers. Whoever you are, whatever you do, you can make a difference.

This year, we want to highlight the importance of Carer Friendly Communities – places where local people and services understand what it’s like to be a carer and show what they are doing to help and support carers better.

As such, we’re asking people to visit the Carers Week website to recommend Carer Friendly services.

It might be an employer, local GP, pharmacy, local care service, school or a café that is Carer Friendly. We urge everyone to pledge their support to carers and make a change.

There are lots of different ways to get involved in Carers Week:

  • Visit the Carers Week websitecarersweek.org and:
  • Recommend an organisation or service that is carer friendly
  • Pledge your support for Carers Week and carry out a change that will help your organisation or service to become more carer friendly
  • Run an activity or event and add it to the Carers Week website to get a free event pack with resources for your event.
  • Like Carers Week on Facebook atfacebook.com/carersweek and join in with the discussions

Carers Week 2017 is made possible by Carers UK joining forces with Age UK, Carers Trust, Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, Motor Neurone Disease Association, MS Society and Which? Elderly Care and kindly supported by Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition and the Lockwood Foundation.

Join in this Carers Week to build communities that recognise and value the vital contribution carers make to our families, communities and wider society.

Heléna Herklots CBE

Chief Executive of Carers UK