Vote for Blackpool Carers Centre in Our Charity Poll This June in Honour of Carers Week 2020!

Blackpool Carers Centre supports unpaid carers from the age of just 5 years old who provide care to a family member due to illness, disability, mental ill health or substance misuse. Carers are often placed in a vulnerable position because of their caring role and they undertake caring duties that are excessive. Their work has highlighted that many carers feel socially isolated and that there is limited focus on their own wellbeing as they take on care and responsibility for their loved one. For children this can particularly impact on their sense of self, their education and the development of friendships. Important aspects of growing up can get lost in the often fraught life of a young carer. As a town, Blackpool is prominent on the scale of poor health, poverty and deprivation. This leads to a high incidence of children becoming carers from a young age and often for prolonged periods of their childhoods. Adult carers are also on the rise locally as more people are being diagnosed with mental health conditions and dementia. 

How Does Blackpool Carers Centre Help?

Blackpool Carers exists to provide a better life for carers through developing projects based on consultation with carers and identifying the needs of the families that they work alongside. It is important that carers have access to a break, whether that be the carer themselves or the whole family. Provision of respite sessions for children is particularly vital in ensuring that young carers can explore play and friendships with others who understand the kinds of worries and responsibilities that they have. Respite sessions also give carers time to be themselves.

Blackpool Carers’ projects deliver a wide range of tailored support to carers and their families. This includes regular respite provision for children and young people focused on play and friendships, and one to one support for carers of all ages. This allows them to have time to discuss the impact of their caring role and work through action plans to help with practical aspects of their caring. 

The organisation also provides peer led support groups, respite breaks and specialist work around mental health, substance misuse and dementia. Blackpool Carers also deliver benefit advice and support to ensure that families are helped to complete forms and applications for the correct financial support. They work across 7 days including evenings, to ensure they are there when families need support the most.

This month, in honour of Carers Week from the 8th-14th June, Blackpool Carers Centre are taking part in our charity poll. Show your support for them and help them work towards their goal of providing a better life for carers. Find out more about them by visiting their website.