The event brought together carers present and former who have been with the organisation a long time. My mother has been a member of this organisation for some time. She did some quite heroic work looking after my father who developed Alzheimer's disease.
The event paid tribute to the late Mary Webster, founder of Carers UK, and was held at Lambeth Palace, home of Carers UK’s vice president the Archbishop of Canterbury; Dr Rowan Williams.
Caring can take its toll on finances, health, career and family and social life. Carers can fall out of paid work and many rely on low-level benefits, forcing them into poverty. Without unpaid carers our NHS would collapse and the country would face an £119 billion care bill it cannot afford. More at http://www.carersuk.org/
Data from the 2011 census shows a substantial rise in those caring for a relative or friend. There are now 5.8 million carers in England & Wales compared to 5.2 in 2001.
Baroness Jill Pitkeathley trained originally as a social worker and led the carers movement for twelve years, creating Carers National Association (now Carers UK) and turning what had been a private, hidden trouble, the needs of Great Britain’s six million carers, into a public issue. She remains a Vice President of CarersUK.
Amy Cook is a carer to her mum and sister as well a model and an
active voice for carers across the UK.Amy helped Carers UK get out the message on the ITV Text Santa appeal about how caring has touched her and her family and what help would make a difference.
Read more on her blog at http://abc-whocares.blogspot.co.uk/
(Amy is the young one in the picture. My mother is the slightly older one)
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