Sutton Scene - Leader of the Council Column 11/06/2020

Carers Week

This week is Carers Week. It's an opportunity to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges that unpaid carers face every day and recognise the important contribution they make to families and communities in Sutton and the UK. It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities (parents, children, relatives and friends) to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the vital importance of carers in our community. Many of us have taken on more caring responsibilities for our relatives and friends who are disabled, older, unwell and who need support. We need to recognise the difficulties carers can experience and ensure they have all the information and support they need, especially during these difficult times.

During the pandemic, it has been calculated that an extra 4.5 million people have become unpaid carers. That's on top of the 9.1 million unpaid carers who were already caring before the outbreak. The theme for Carers Week this year is "Make Caring Visible" and I wanted to particularly recognise the many young carers living in our borough who often feel socially excluded and isolated because of their caring responsibilities. If you know of anyone of any age who is caring for others, please make sure they are aware of the fantastic support they can get from the Sutton Carers’ Centre and encourage them to visit www.suttoncarerscentre.org or ring 8296 5611 to find out more. The Centre continues to work during the crisis and is holding support groups and various virtual events, so please do spread the word.

A huge thank you to all Sutton carers for the wonderful love and dedication you give to so many people living in our borough. We are so grateful to every single one of you for the help you are providing to others this week and every week.