Carers Week 2026 - Building Carer Friendly Communities
Carers Week is an annual campaign that highlights the challenges faced by carers, and recognises the outstanding contribution that unpaid carers make to their families, friends and communities across the UK.
Every year Carers Week has a different theme. The theme for 2026 is Building Carer Friendly Communities. A carer friendly community is a place, space or organisation that values carers and does something practical to support them by identifying carers, listening and responding to their experiences so that they are not left to cope alone. This includes the workplace, local communities, faith communities, GP practices, hospitals, schools, businesses or online communities supporting unpaid carers. Carers Week 2026 will highlight the impact carer friendly communities can have in making a real and lasting difference to the lives of carers everywhere. The campaign will be brought to life by thousands of individuals and organisations taking action to ensure more communities understand, recognise, and empower carers.
An aim of Carers Week is to help people recognise if they’ve become an unpaid carer, signpost what help might be available, and encourage them to reach out for help when they need it. Anyone who looks after a family member or a friend who has a mental or physical illness, a disability, an addiction, or requires additional support as they age, is a carer. It isn’t someone who volunteers or is employed to provide support. Caring responsibilities can have a huge impact on the carer’s life, both day-to-day and long term, affecting relationships, health, finances, school and work. In some cases, the individuals involved might be unaware they’ve become a carer as the transition from short-term help to long-term care can sometimes be subtle.
For further information in relation to carers support, please see the below links for your local area.
Carers Trust - https://carers.org/
Carers UK - https://www.carersuk.org/
Watch the following podcast (episode 8) where carer Paul talks with experts by experience Amanda and Ruth about the challenges and struggles he faced whilst caring for his daughter Amanda during her time facing her eating disorder - EmpowerED Podcast :: Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust