Sir Roger Gale
Member of Parliament for Herne Bay and Sandwich (including West Thanet)
Sir Roger Gale MP pledges to make unpaid carers Visible, Valued and Supported in North Thanet this Carers Week
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June 8th 2022
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Sir Roger Gale MP has pledged to support unpaid carers across North Thanet this Carers Week, taking place this year from 6-12 June.
Carers Week is an annual awareness week which recognises the vital contribution made by people caring unpaid for family members or friends who have a disability, illness, mental health condition, or who need extra help as they grow older.
Sir Roger Gale MP attended an event in Parliament to mark Carers Week and met with carers to hear about and better understand their experiences of caring during the pandemic, as well as the support they now need. Sir Roger Gale also pledged to support unpaid carers.
New research released for Carers Week found that:
- More care is now being provided by unpaid carers than ever before, with the number of people providing substantial care (i.e. over 20 hours of care or more per week) rising by 42% across the UK since October 2020
- One in five of the UK’s adults (approximately 10.6 million people) are now supporting a relative, close friend or neighbour because of chronic illness, including mental ill-health, dementia, disability, or older age.
- 84% of the general public think that the UK governments should provide additional support to unpaid carers, including increased financial support and investment in care and support services so that unpaid carers can have a break.
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The seven charities supporting Carers Week in 2022 – Carers UK, Age UK, Carers Trust, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Oxfam GB, Rethink Mental Illness, and The Lewy Body Society – are calling for the Government to put in place a Recovery and Respite Plan for unpaid carers, to recognise the lengths people have gone to during COVID and to mitigate the impact it has had on carers’ own mental and physical health, as well as their finances.
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Local MP, Sir Roger Gale, said:
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“Unpaid carers have provided crucial support to friends and family members throughout the pandemic, often without any time out for themselves, and it is important that their efforts are recognised, and that they are now given the support they need to care safely and well for their loved ones.
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“I am supporting Carers Week 2022 to ensure unpaid carers in [enter name of constituency] are connected to the support they need and get the breaks they deserve. I back the call for the Government to develop a Recovery and Respite Plan for Unpaid Carers”
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Events and activities are taking place across the country this week, and hundreds of people have already added their voice or pledged to support the Carers Week campaign. To find out more about events in [insert area] or to add your voice to the Carers Week wall, go to www.carersweek.org