Better breaks for unpaid carers

Imagine being on call all the time: on duty, never getting a night's sleep, no time to yourself or to relax with family and friends. This has been the reality for many carers, who've made do with far less support during the past year than they'd previously received. We are calling on the government to increase funding for carers' breaks. Thank you to everyone who took part in our campaign, contacting their MP to ask them to show their support.

Our campaign has now closed

What is Carers Week?

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

This year we came together to Make Caring Visible and Valued.

The campaign is brought to life by thousands of individuals and organisations who come together to provide support for carers, run activities, highlight the vital role carers play in our communities and draw attention to just how important caring is.

Who is a carer?

A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, illness, mental health condition, or who needs extra help as they grow older. It isn’t someone who volunteers or is employed to provide support.

Information for carers

Latest updates

Pledge

Siobhain McDonagh

I will continue to speak up on behalf of our extraordinary unpaid carers and the difficult challenges that they face. This Carers Week I want to make clear my admiration and appreciation for all that they do and to pledge to continue to be a voice for them in Parliament.

View pledge

It's the end of #CarersWeek 2021 - and what a success it's been! Thank you to everyone who has added their voice… https://t.co/08NhzAOK6D

@carersweek

18 weeks ago