MP talks to carers about ‘visibility’ campaign

A GOSPORT MP met unpaid carers last week as part of a Carers Week event to make carers more visible.

Dame Caroline Dinenage greeted unpaid carers and the charities which support them in parliament to hear about the campaign for more action to make carers visible, valued and supported.

Ms Dinenage also sponsored the event, which sees MPs from across the UK come togethertoshowtheirsupport.

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution theymaketofamiliesandcommunities throughout the UK.

It also helps people who don't think of themselves as having caring responsibilities toidentifyascarersandaccess much-needed support.

Caroline, a former care minister, who is the current co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Carers, thanked the organisations for theirworktopromoteandsupport unpaid carers.

Caroline said: ‘Their dedication and commitment, often at great cost to their own livelihoods and well-being, relieves so much pressure from our health and care systems, yet so often this contribution is undervalued and invisible.’

Alicia Jones, an unpaid carer who attended the event, said: ‘Having been a government advisor for unpaid carers, it was so lovely to be back doing in-person events with parliamentarians. To sit down and have the crucial conversations about the reality of being acarer,somethingthatcan'tbe done through a screen.’

TheCarersWeekeventwas sponsored by a number of the national charities, including; Carers UK, Age UK, Carers Trust, MND Association, and Oxfam GB.