Host of activities on offer to celebrate Carers Week 2023
Over 35 activities across Shropshire are set to take place throughout Carers Week and beyond (from Monday 5 June to Sunday 18 June 2023), to celebrate and recognise the contribution made by Shropshire’s unpaid and family carers.
The events have been organised by Shropshire Council’s carers support team and, throughout the fortnight 5-18 June, carers will be able to take part in both face to face and online events.
Carers Week 2023 logo
Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, and help people who don’t think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support. The campaign is brought to life by thousands of individuals and organisations who come together to provide support for carers, run activities and highlight the vital role carers play in our communities.
Activities throughout the fortnight include:
- Canal trips
- Garden and museum visits
- Walks and talks
- Quizzes
- Music, art and craft sessions
- Complementary refreshments
- And much more.
Competitions
In addition to the activities, there’ll also be competitions with some fantastic prizes to be won:-
- Carers can win 2 tickets to see “Anything for Love” on Thursday 8 June at 7.30pm at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury. To enter the competition please send us a paragraph describing: ‘What it means to be recognised as a carer by the community’. Carers should email their entries by Wednesday 24 May 2023 to carers@shropshire.gov.uk. Winners will be advised by Friday 26 May 2023 via email.
- Carers can also win a copy of “The Canny Cook Freezer and Store Cupboard Meals on a Budget” signed by TV chef Phil Vickery. To enter the competition carers can send their original ‘go to’ budget recipe with a photo. Tell us why it’s your favourite – is it quick and easy, holds nice memories or simply delicious! Carers should email your entries by Sunday 28 May 2023 to carers@shropshire.gov.uk. The competition will be judged by Phil Vickery himself and winners will be announced during Carers Week.
- Carers who are registered on the Shropshire carers registered list will be placed in a draw and the two lucky winners will win two tickets each to see the “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” at the Festival Drayton Centre on Monday 5 June 2023.
Shropshire carers
Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and communities, said:-
“Carers Week is an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to all our unpaid and family carers in Shropshire. This year’s theme for Carers Week is ‘Recognising and supporting carers in the community’.
“Well, we absolutely recognise the valuable support you provide to others, and our Shropshire carers support team have created a programme of activities to stretch out over two weeks, with a blended mix of outdoor and virtual options.
“We are sure you will find something to interest you and look forward to you joining us during the fun-packed fortnight.
“We hope the activities will be therapeutic for you, bring joy and companionship, and it is our way to say, ‘thank you for all that you do’.”
Margarete Davies, Shropshire Carers manager and carer lead, added:-
“Shropshire carers support team are excited to share our Carers Week 2023 events programme with you. As in previous years, we have extended the activities over a two-week period (Monday 5 June to Sunday 18 June) to try and reach as many carers as possible.
“We are inviting carers to join in our activities and reconnect with nature, and join us in the natural environments of Shropshire, where we can enjoy the beauty of our countryside with others.
“Alternatively, you may like to come to one of our crafting activities or get up close and personal with the animals from the exotic zoo, or maybe join us virtually at the effective communication workshop, a virtual cuppa or testing your general knowledge at a fun online quiz.
“Whether you want to immerse yourself in a garden walk or join activities from home, or maybe do a little of both, we hope you will find something for you, and look forward to seeing you during the two-week period.
“With 35 activities dedicated to carers, there is a blended mix of outdoor and virtual options – our small way to say ‘thank you’ for all that you do. Whether you want to come along in person to the activities or join them from home, we hope you will find something for you.”
To book a place on any of the activities on the programme, please email: shropshire.carers@shropshire.gov.uk or telephone 01743 341995.
Online activities can be accessed by clicking on the links provided in the virtual events programme.
To find out more about Carers Week visit https://www.carersweek.org/about-carers-week/
Further information
Thank you to all the contributors to Carers Week in Shropshire:-
- Shrewsbury Town in the Community
- National Garden Scheme
- Heulwen Trust
- Lyneal Trust
- Mobilise
- Severn Valley Railway
- Ludlow Farm Shop
- Hodnet Hall Gardens
- Fordhall Organic Farm
- Shropshire Museums
- Exotic Zoo
- Royal Airforce Museum
- OsNosh, Oswestry
- Royal Airforce Museum
- Doodle Alley
- Shropshire Fire & Rescue
- Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury (run by Shropshire Council)
- Festival Drayton Centre
- Booka Bookshop
- Barnabas Community Centre
- Wace Morgan Solicitors
- SAND
- Severn Trent
- Rotary
- Hartshorns Cakes
- Ludlow Brewing Company
- Phil Vickery
What is a carer?
A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, mental or physical illness, substance misuse issue, or who needs extra help as they grow older.
For some, taking on a caring role can be sudden: someone in your family has an accident or your child is born with a disability. For others, caring responsibilities can grow gradually over time: your parents can’t manage on their own any longer or your partner’s mental or physical health gradually worsens.
The amount and type of support that carers provide varies considerably. It can range from a few hours a week, such as picking up prescriptions and preparing meals, to providing emotional support or personal care day and night.
Caring will touch each and every one of us in our lifetime, whether we become a carer or need care ourselves. Whilst caring can be a rewarding experience, it can also have a huge impact on a person’s health, finances and relationships.
