It’s Carers Week
It’s time to celebrate the UK’s unpaid carers and recognise the huge amount they do!
Carers Week 2024 takes place from Monday 10th June until Sunday 16th June 2024. It’s a national event to recognise and celebrate the UK’s six million plus unpaid family and friend carers.
The Week aims to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges family and friend carers face, and acknowledge the huge contribution carers make.
It’s also a time to help people who don’t think of themselves as carers, to identify as carers and then access much-needed support.
Looking after you
Our focus this year is ‘Looking after you’ – helping carers to prioritise just a little time for themselves, for self-care. Caring can be so stressful, isolating and such hard work.
We’re running sessions to help carers share what works best for them in terms of wellbeing, and launching a new booklet ‘Relaxation for Carers’ full of practical exercises that can be done in a short time, to help restore energy and calm.
What’s happening in Surrey?
We’ll be celebrating the Week across the county, with lots of free events and activities.
Events take place at 10 of our regular carer drop-in Hubs, across the county, with different activities at different Hubs.
And for those who struggle to leave home, free online events include mindfulness, relaxation and yoga as well as support groups.
Nuffield Health
We’re delighted to be working with Nuffield Health and will be having stands in four of their Surrey venues: Guildford, West Byfleet, Leatherhead and Farnham to let people know about our support.
Nuffield will also be offering free 7-day passes to these venues to allow carers time to enjoy the facilities and take some time out for themselves, which we’ll be sharing with carers attending our events during the Week.
Hub events
Our Hubs are open from 10am-2.30pm on the days shown below, with coffee/tea and cake on offer throughout that time.
Please simply drop in, and you can have refreshments, catch up with others, join in with any special events happening, and pick up your FREE Carers Week goody-bag.
We’ll be joined by other community organisations also offering information and support.
The drop-in carer Hubs will be open in Carers Week, as follows:
Monday June 10th June, 10am-2.30pm
- Woking – Knaphill Methodist Church, Broadway, Knaphill, Woking GU21 2DR. Details here.
- Guildford – The Hive, Park Barn Drive, Guildford GU2 8EN. Details here.
- Haslemere – Wesley Room, The Methodist Church, 5-7 Junction Place, Haslemere GU27 1LE. Details here.
Tuesday 11th June, 10am-2.30pm
- Banstead – United Reformed Church, Woodmansterne Lane, Banstead SM7 3EX. Details here.
- Camberley– High Cross Church, Knoll Road, Camberley GU15 3SY. Details here.
Wednesday 12th June, 10am-2.30pm
- Addlestone – Addlestone Community Centre, Garfield Rd, Addlestone KT15 2NJ. Details here.
Thursday 13th June, 10am-2.30pm.
- Hersham – Centre for the Community, 7 Queens Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames KT12 5LU. Details here.
- Caterham – Westway Community Café, 25 Chaldon Road, Caterham CR3 5PG. Details here.
Friday 14th June, 10am-2.30pm
- Leatherhead – Leatherhead Community Hub, Kingston Road, Leatherhead KT22 7PX. Details here.
If you’re an unpaid carer, then why not pop into your nearest Hub, and as well as celebrating Carers Week with us, you can find out what practical and emotional support is available.
Special ‘Being Well, Doing Well’
At Polesden Lacey we’re running a special workshop all about techniques and practices to look after YOU and support your wellbeing. Held at beautiful National Trust property Polesden Lacey on Saturday 8th June, there will also be a chance to tour the house and gardens after the event.
Online events
If it’s hard for you to leave home, why not join one of our on line events taking place during Carers Week?
For wellbeing, we have free yoga, mindfulness and relaxation sessions running. There’s also a special wellbeing skin care event, plus support groups. As they’re part of Carers Week, we’ll be sending out our Goodie Bags in advance to those attending!
Working with others
We’re also attending Surrey County Council’s Carers Week event to help improve understanding of carers and their needs amongst their staff, plus an event at Heathrow, to help support all the unpaid carers who work there.
Carers Week nationally
You can find out more about the day nationally here.