Carers Rights Day 2009

The tenth annual Carers Rights Day, organised by Carers UK, took place on 4th December 2009, under the theme Caring for your income and pension.

Carers UK and the Department of Work and Pensions published new research showing that 1  million people in the UK have given up work or reduced their hours to care for an ill or disabled friend or family member, whilst Carers UK's own survey of carers showed that as many as 30% were missing out on benefits because they did not realise they could claim. The research was covered by GMTV, the BBC, The Observer, Guardian Society and local newspapers, and television and radio stations across the UK. You can read about the research in more detail here...

Over 1,500 events took place across the UK, with carers centres, GPs surgeries, local councils, libraries, charities, hospices and many other community groups providing support and information to local carers. Here are just some examples of events in 2009:

• The staff at NHS Peterborough held an informal drop in session with the Mayor at a city centre hotel all morning, with tea, coffee and mince pies. In the run up, posters were put up all over the city and sent to GP’s surgeries.
• Solihull Carers’ centre invited local MPs, councillors and the local Care Trust, who all answered questions from carers and met carers one to one. Information stalls from all different organizations were set up and a free lunch was put on.
• Jo Hendry from Crossroads Care in the Vale helped to organise an event with the Vale of Glamorgan Council at the Hub in Barry. On top of a variety of advice and information stands and guest speakers, relaxing therapies were offered to carers including an Indian Head Massage. The day was rounded off by a buffet lunch.
• Guideposts carer support service held three public events with local carers agencies and stands. They held events in Rugby, Nuneaton and Atherstone. In Rugby, their event was attended by Jeremy Wright MP and included a young carers choir to sing carols. In Nuneaton a steel band played carols outside their community café, whilst in Atherstone they held the carers event in a café they’ve recently opened.
• The Inverclyde Carers Centre had their own Question Time with the local MP and held a number of workshops with local organisations giving advice including Jobcentre Plus, and other statutory and voluntary sector organizations on financial advice, pensions and welfare rights. 
• The carers centre in Hull parked a special bus in the city centre where they held a drop in information centre with people from the carers centre, the pensions service and social services there to answer questions and give out information.
• In Enfield they had plenty on offer - along with outreach and information stalls there were complementary therapies, relaxation activities, a Q&A on pensions and benefits and a Christmas lunch for carers.
• Hafal, the Welsh charity for people with serious mental illness and their carers, organised mental health first aid training carers.
• The Princess Royal Trust Stirling Carers Centre held a drop in coffee morning, where benefit advisors were around to give valuable advice and local MP Ann McGuire dropped in. 
• Central Bedfordshire Council raised awareness in local newspapers and on local radio. On the day, they put information stands in hospitals, put on a drop-in afternoon tea and held a Music quiz with the theme of benefits!

These are just a small selection of events, all events, big or small, make a huge difference to the carers they support. Look out for more details soon on how to register for Carers Rights Day 2010.