PKAVS Carers Week 2017

They’re the unsung heroes of society. They’re the ones who take on the responsibility of caring for loved ones, relatives, friends and neighbours on a voluntary basis and without receiving a salary to do so. Unpaid carers do a massively important job that can range from just a few hours a week to round the clock care.

It’s estimated that 3 in 5 people will become a carer at some point in their lives. For me, that’s actually quite a startling statistic! The reality is that many people are carers without even realising it, as they just think they are doing what anyone else would in their situation.

Unpaid carers help to look after those who can no longer do so themselves due to things like disability, frailty, illness or addiction. It’s a difficult job and it can be a huge challenge to manage full-time or part-time work alongside it. The reality though, is that there are many people across Perth and Kinross who are doing this every single day.

From 12^th to 18^th June, it’s PKAVS Carers Week which aims to raise awareness, celebrate and recognise unpaid carers across Perth and Kinross. The team at PKAVS are putting on a host of events across Perthshire and they want you to get involved!

Kerry Donaghy, Adult Carers Development Worker for PKAVS, is hoping that the week can help people realise and appreciate exactly what carers in Perth and Kinross do and how much they benefit and save the Government every year.

“Unpaid carers play a massively important role in Perth and Kinross. Without their dedication to supporting their loved ones, whether it’s a life limiting condition, illness, addiction or frailty, Perth and Kinross’s statutory, private and third sector services would undoubtedly crumble under the demand.

“The impact on unpaid carers is a heavy one – financially, emotionally, mentally, physically, as well as employment and educational progress. Nationally, unpaid carers save the Scottish Government £10 billion every year, which is equivalent to a second NHS.

“PKAVS Carers Hub would like Carers Week 2017 to raise more awareness about unpaid carers in the community and to celebrate their contributions.”

Kerry also hopes that PKAVS Carers Week may help to identify more people who are caring for someone and do not necessarily identify themselves as such.

“We also want to find out if there are more unpaid carers – the last census indicates that there are 13,000 unpaid carers in Perth and Kinross. However, many people do not identify as an unpaid carer, so we strongly believe the figure is much higher.”

Working closely with local employers including Aviva and SSE, PKAVS want to get the word out about unpaid carers. They want to encourage more local businesses to become ‘Carer Positive’ – an award given to businesses that have a working environment where carers are valued and supported. They’re also working with primary and secondary schools and Perth College, as many of the unpaid carers in society are young people. There are at least 29,000 young carers in Scotland who take on the roles and responsibilities that would normally be expected of adults!

Whether you’re a carer yourself, know someone who provides unpaid care or just want to show your support for the amazing work that these people do, there are opportunities to get involved in Crieff, Blairgowrie, Pitlochry and Perth City Centre throughout the week.

There will be a community ‘Street Café’ event in St. James Square in Crieff on Saturday from 10am until midday to kick start PKAVS Carers Week. You can enjoy an Afternoon Tea in Blairgowrie on Thursday 15^th at the Royal Hotel from 1:30pm until 4:30pm, and a coffee morning the following day at Pitlochry High School from 10am until midday. All of the events are free to attend and to round off the week there will be the big Celebration Bash at the Lovat Hotel on Friday night from 7pm until late – it’s sure to be a great night!

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For more information, visit PKAVS Carers Hub website here >>>.

Join PKAVS Thunderclap online here! >>>

You can also change your Facebook profile picture to their Twibbon – to do so click here >>>.

If you work with an organisation, why don’t you and your team have a ‘Dress Down Friday’ on Friday 16th June? Each staff member can donate £1 to PKAVS Carers Hub by texting PKCW17 £1 to 70070.