Sheffield charity celebrates the contribution of unpaid carers in the city

Assistance for the cared-for person can range from emotional and physical support to practical help with personal care, medication, shopping or managing finances. Becoming a carer can be a gradual process with some people not realising the relationship with the person they help is changing. The campaign encourages more people to recognise they are carers and access support for themselves.

Sheffield Carers Centre (SCC) has arranged a series of free events for carers during the week. These include a ‘Carers Drop-in’ sessions at Crystal Peaks (Monday 9 June) repeated at their city centre offices next to The Showroom Cinema (Wednesday 11 June). Some of the SCC team will be at all the week’s events to provide unpaid carers with useful information and practical advice.

The program also includes a Book Group meeting (Monday) a Games session (Tuesday) then a Bake Sale (Wednesday) a Craft session (Thursday) rounding off with a Super Carers Café (Friday). Details of these and a couple of additional events organised in conjunction with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals are on the SCC website: www.sheffieldcarers.org.uk/carers-week-2025

Sylvia Smith is the Chief Operating Officer at SCC and commented: “Caring can be extremely rewarding, but it can also be very challenging. We want the contribution unpaid carers make to local communities to be recognised. In addition, we want carers to have easy access to advice that supports them in their caring role. Last, but not least, we want to help carers with their own health and wellbeing.”.

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring and highlight some of the challenges carers face. It also aims to help people who don't think they have caring responsibilities to identify as carers and access support. For more about the national campaign visit: www.carersweek.org