Lets Celebrate Carers Week 2025

Are you ready to support Carers Week 2025?

Carers Week 2025 will take place across the UK from Monday, 9th June, to Sunday, 15th June. The theme for Carers Week 2025 is ‘Caring About Equality’, focusing on the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, such as increased risks of poverty, social isolation, and challenges to their mental and physical health. The Carers Week 2025 aims to raise awareness, celebrate the vital contributions of carers, and encourage better understanding and support for those caring for family, friends, or neighbours.

According to the 2021 Census, across the UK there are over 5.5 million unpaid carers, with 4.7 million in England alone. An unpaid carer is someone who is providing unpaid care and support to a family member, partner, friend, or neighbour who is disabled, has an illness or long-term condition, or who needs extra help as they get older. This support could be a few hours a week, or it could be round-the-clock care.

Activities for this years carers week will include:

• Awareness Campaigns – highlighting struggles that carers go through, such as financial difficulties, discrimination in the workplace, and lack of recognition for all that they do, this will further people’s knowledge of carers and provide empathy and understanding from the public.
• Support and Networking – a chance for carers to meet other carers to reduce isolation and give support and practical advice to carers.
• Advocacy – Calls for policy change and a chance for employers to address inequalities and improve carers lives.
• Educational Workshops – empowering workshops that help carers of all ages to recognise their rights and how they can access support

Information for Carers:

Looking after yourself:

• Looking after yourself is imperative for carers, but finding the time to take time out for yourself can be difficult. As a carer you may struggle to eat and sleep well, find time to exercise, and manage levels of stress.
• Advice, information and support from the experts – click this link to access resources from ReThink Mental Illness if you are worried about your own mental wellness.
• Being a carer can often feel isolating, all of the charities and sponsors taking part in Carers Week 2025 provide chances to get in touch and join forums to make you feel less alone. You can find a list here Our supporters and sponsors | Carers Week

Work and Finances:

• If you are a carer who also has paid work, it is essential to check out your company’s policies for those with caring responsibilities. Flexible working hours, and time off for emergencies are within your rights at work.
• For extra support with your finances as a carer, you can visit Financial Support for Carers | Age UK, for financial support including a benefits calculator.

Technology and Equipment:

• Devices and apps can help people connect and manage care on a day-to-day basis, they may also allow people to live independently for longer.
• Carers UK has information here Technology and equipment | Carers UK, about technology and equipment, how it can be useful and where to find devices and apps suited to you.
• Additionally, if you are caring for an older person, Age UK has a brilliant service to help older adults get online. visit Age UK services in your area

Preparing for the unexpected:

• It’s important to think about what you could do if something goes wrong or your situation changes suddenly.
• Some areas have local emergency card systems for carers set up by the local council. Check out the carers directory to find out what your local area has to offer you, Support where you live | Carers UK

All of this information was taken from Home | Carers Week, to help provide information for our dancers and the local commuity.

Resources for Carers at Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC

Here at Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC we support carers. If you feel like you need additional support or advice we can make a referral to Birmingham Carers Hub. Please do just get in touch with us, we are happy to help.

In addition to our carer classes on offer, we are also happy to provide resources to help support carers and hopefully make their responsibilities a little easier – we are more than happy to help!

We have compiled all our resources into one handy blog post for you! There is information about support, activities for carers and information about Carers IF card. Click here to access the blog!

Don’t forget we have a FREE pre-recorded downloadable class for carers. A monthly half-hour session for those unable to join us for our online or in-person carer classes, but don’t want to miss out on the dancing. After booking the class, you will receive a link via email to download the video. The link will expire within 7 days.

You can book Keep Dancing for Carers classes here

Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC run weekly Keep Dancing classes, suitable for older adults across, Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Sandwell and online. Keep Dancing will teach you dances from around the world with no need for a dance partner. Find your nearest Keep Dancing class here.     

To find out more about Xpress-Yourself Dance CIC follow us on Facebook.     

Thank you for checking out our Carers Week 2025 information blog. Look after yourselves and Keep Dancing!

Let’s make Birmingham a better place for Carers! 🌈

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