Pass it on! ‘Everyone knows a Carer’ events – week of 22 November 2021

Image: Carers' Rights Day poster

Published: 17 November 2021

It’s Carers Rights Day on Thursday 25 November and there will be a huge range of activities going on across Devon to say thank you to unpaid carers and to raise awareness of their rights and the support they can receive.

But most people who care for a family member or friend, do not think of themselves as a carer, so if you know someone who supports or is supported by a family member or friend, whatever their age, please tell them. If someone is signed up with Torbay Carers (or Devon Carers) their Carers’ card can get them extra deals and discounts too, so please do pass the information on.

Tuesday 23 November 1-2pm on Riviera FM Radio 107.9

  • Tune into Dave Evitts’ show to raise awareness about who is a carer, and about the events coming up later in the week, plus music.

Thursday 25 November Carers Rights Day

  • Carers Aid Torbay – Enabling and Support service for unpaid carers will be out and about in Wellswood raising awareness of Carers Rights and about Bay Benefits – a service which helps carers with finance and benefits queries
  • Slots on Radio Devon throughout the day to raise awareness
  • Hot drink with snack deals with your Carers Card: Main Entrance Level 4 Café Torbay Hospital (25 Nov only), Urban Edge (25 – 27 Nov) and Our Katie’s (25 – 27 Nov) Cafés in Paignton, Bay Coffee Company Café (25 – 27 Nov) in Brixham
  • Launch of Award ‘My Manager Cares – that I’m a Carer’ at Torbay and South Devon (TSDFT), supporting carers who juggle caring with working
  • Supporting staff who juggle caring and working at TSDFT (see ICON ‘staff carers’)
  • Paignton Library and on-line – 30 minute talks including Q+A – booking essential*
    • 11am – Dementia Support with Atlas Care
    • 11.30am – I Can Do That – employment and wider support for carers / cared for
    • 12 noon – Job Centre Support and Universal Credit
    • 12.30pm – Eat that Frog – employability and wider support for carers / cared for
    • 1pm – South Devon College – courses for those interested in working in care
    • 1.30pm – Technology to support carers – gadgets for carers / cared for
  • Paignton Library – Support and Information Sessions – booking essential*
    • 11.30am – 12noon – Anxiety Management workshop with Sharon from Step One
    • Slots available between 11am – 2pm – Citizens Advice – advice about benefits
    • Slots available between 12.30pm – 2pm Universal Credit and Jobcentre advice
    • Slots available between 1pm – 2pm – Struggling with IT or smartphone? 1-to-1 support / confidence boost
  • Online activities and resources – too many to list. Visit www.tsdft.uk/carers from 23rd onwards to find out what is happening. Includes: videos from Lifestyles, on-line safety, local history, support into or in employment, plus specific sessions
    • 11am and 7pm Buckingham Palace tours
    • 8.30am – 8.30pm – Support for carers working in TSDFT, DPT, Torbay Youth Trust or Torbay Council (see internal staff bulletins for links)

Saturday 27 November 11am – 2pm Celebration Day – Everyone Knows a Carer

Invite friends and family to join us to raise awareness of who is a carer and say thank you to those who are! Family-friendly event indoor and out (under cover!) with COVID measures and free refreshments for carers.

Everyone is welcome to join us (and 2 out of 3 of you will be a carer at some time in your life, so it will probably be useful even if you are not a carer now!)

There will be a mix of entertainment, activities and food for everyone to enjoy, plus information, advice and activities for all carers including parent carers and Young Carers.

Supported by Imagine – Torbay Multicultural Group – there will be music, singing and dancing, world foods to try, Japanese Crafts, Tai Chi, aromatherapy, balloon making and hair braiding. Torbay Young Carers Service are running ‘Caring Rocks’ family craft activity and TJ the DJ holding a disco for all ages. There will also be a quiet space where the events / talks that have been on-line during the week will be screened.

COVID measures – Please note that to try to make this event as safe as possible, we ask you to:

  • contact us to express an interest in coming at all
    (outdoor activities will be socially distanced so you can just turn up on the day, but numbers indoors will be strictly limited)
  • contact us to book your place for indoor activities
  • socially distance outdoors and indoors
  • wear masks for indoor activities unless exempt
  • use the sanitiser and sign-in before entering rooms
  • if possible, please self-test for Covid in the morning
  • do not come if you have any symptoms of Covid!
  • be considerate of other people who may be at higher risk or more nervous than you.

We appreciate that not everyone can get to Paignton or online, so if there is enough interest, we can hold a small-group screening near you eg Brixham Friends Centre.

If you would like IT support to help you practice getting on-line before the day, just let us know.

If you would like to attend anything, but something is stopping you, contact Carers Admin on 01803 208455 and we’ll see if we can help.

*For any queries / booking contact Signposts for Carers or Carers Admin on 01803 208455. Information on www.tsdft.uk/carers will be regularly updated.

For further information and how to join the online events, see our Carers Rights Day page.