Shining a light on work of unpaid carers
Posted on Thursday 3rd June 2021
Making caring visible and valued is the theme of next week's National Carers Week and to reflect the Civic Centre clock tower will be lit in blue on 7 June to honour unpaid carers in the city.
Councillor Jane Mudd, Leader of Newport City Council, said: "Unpaid carers make a vital, and often unrecognised, contribution and that is why I wanted us to pay tribute to them in this way.
"They will be caring for a relative or friend out of love but there is invariably an impact on their own lives, health and well-being and that will have been magnified during the pandemic.
"The council and other organisations can offer support to carers in a number of ways and I urge anyone who is looking after a friend or family member to get in touch with the council as we have dedicated officers who can provide valuable advice and information.
Councillor Paul Cockeram, cabinet member for social services, said: "Around 580 unpaid carers are known to us but the 2011 Census reported that about 16,500 people in Newport said they were caring for someone, so we know the figure is much higher.
"They include young carers who are helping to look after a parent or sibling; parents looking after children with additional needs or serious conditions; "sandwich" carers juggling the needs of parents and children and anyone caring for someone who cannot manage without help.
"I would like to take this opportunity to encourage them to get in touch. They can find out what they are entitled to, including an assessment of their own needs. We also have a carers network in Newport where they can find peer support and receive regular updates.
"We also know that there are many people who do not realise they are unpaid carers but I hope that others will make that connection for them to ensure they get all the help they need and deserve."
For more information on the support available for carers visit www.newport.gov.uk/carers