Carers Week: Supporting carers in our communities | Tenant news

Carers Week (8–14 June 2026) is a national campaign that raises awareness of carers, the challenges they face, and the important role they play in our communities.

This year’s theme is building carer friendly communities. It highlights the difference that supportive communities can make to the lives of carers.

You may be a carer and you may not even be aware of it, so we want to share the many ways we can all get involved and help build communities that work better for carers.

What is a carer?

A carer is someone who helps another person who needs support to live their daily life. This might be a family member, friend or neighbour who is ill, disabled, older, or needs extra help.

Carers may help with:

• washing, dressing or feeding someone
• giving medicine or helping with health needs
• cooking meals or doing housework
• helping someone get out and about, like going to appointments or activities
• offering emotional support and keeping someone company.
  
  

They play an important role in helping people stay independent and connected to their community.

Carer-friendly communities

Carer friendly communities recognise carers and the important role they play. They understand what caring involves and the impact it can have and take practical steps to identify and support carers.

When communities work together in this way, carers have better access to support and more opportunities to live well.

So, what can you do to help support carers during Carers Week and beyond?

What you can do

You could start by checking in on someone you know who is caring for a family member or friend. A quick chat or message can help someone feel supported, especially if they’re feeling tired or overwhelmed.

You can also help by sharing information about support services. Many carers don’t always know what help is available, so passing on details of local groups, advice services or national charities can be useful.

If your community or scheme has noticeboards, share Carers Week information on it so that more people are aware of it. For more advice, visit the Carers Week website.

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