Carers in action : news and views from across the UK

Keeping up the pressure
01 December 2008 Enough is enough! That’s the message coming from carers who are organising a nationwide protest on April 22nd 2009. A group of carers have started the “Carers Poverty Protest’ group. The group are appealing to Carers UK members to get on board and help organise and support the protest.

Carers UK launches new guide for local campaigners
13 November 2008 Carers UK's new guide helps carers to campaign and get involved in local services by giving practical advice about dealing with the media, lobbying MPs and councillors, and representing carers on local committees.

Equal Partners shortlisted for national award
29 October 2008 Carers UK's successful campaigning programme, Equal Partners has received major recognition for its achievements by the NHS Centre for Involvement which has nominated it for a national award.

Meet Jane from Sheffield
03 October 2008 Jane cares for her elderly parents in Sheffield and has plenty of campaigning experience on 'the other side of the fence' as a former MPs assistant and press co-ordinator. She now uses her communication skills as a freelance media consultant. Jane gives her tips to help carers make their voice heard.

Grants to help parent carers get involved in local services
19 September 2008 As part of the Aiming High for Disabled Children (AHDC) programme the government committed £5million to support parent involvement over the next three years. Find out how your parent carer group could benefit.

Latest on David's struggle to get more respite in Aberdeen
12 September 2008 David from Aberdeen cares for his mother and has been fighting to get the Council to review its decision to make huge cuts to local services including respite.

Meet Brenda, from East Ayrshire
08 September 2008 There are now lots of opportunities for carers to get involved in local health and community forums. Carers often ask, what’s it like – is it full of professionals talking jargon? Will I be able to do anything useful? Brenda Emmerson, a carer from South East Ayrshire, gives an insight into representing carers on her local Patient Forum.

Carers fight Council cuts
11 August 2008 Carers in Aberdeen are furious at the Councils plans to cut £50 million from local services - this will have a disastrous effect on the local community and will deny carers access to breaks. Local people are fighting this and are all set to take legal action. Carers have staged a public march and have organised a petition to oppose the cuts.

Carer wins award as MP's Hero
11 August 2008 Carer Vijaya Gupta has campaigned for many years for carers' rights and helped to improve his local community in Slough. His MP Fiona Mactaggart has awarded him 'MP's Hero' to mark his achievements such as establishing the Slough Senior Citizens Group and promoting integration between local Hindu groups and other faiths and cultures.

Sharon Coleman tells us her story of taking her battle to the European Court
22 July 2008 In 2008 Sharon Coleman has probably been the most famous carer in the UK. In January her picture was on the front page of the Financial Times and she appeared on the GMTV sofa. For this carer and single mum for Bermondsey in South London it was the latest stage of a long a difficult journey. Sharon had won a critical stage of her landmark legal battle to prove she had suffered discrimination because of her caring situation. In July the court finally confirmed that she had won her landmark case.

Carers in Scotland fight post office closures
04 July 2008 Carers in Moray in Scotland have fought hard to keep their local post offices open. They plan to appeal the recent hardhitting decision to close the post office which have a huge effect on carers' lives.

Carer fights for carers' rights to study
29 May 2008 Kate Thomas, from Leicester, carers for her daughter Sophie, 11, who was born with spinal bifida. When Kate took up her degree place at Northampton University her Carers Allowance was stopped by the Department of Work and Pensions [DWP] as the rules say she cannot study for more than 21 hours per week. Kate took the DWP to a tribunal, and won her case earlier this year. She talks about her campaign for carers to have access to this basic right of education.

Dudley carers campaign for change
29 May 2008 Carers in Dudley took part in our 'Carers Voices' training to help carers improve their campaigning and hone their communication and presentation skills to influence local decision-makers. They've already had an impact and their campaigning has led to extra services for local carers.

Carer takes campaigning to Westminster
29 April 2008 In the week in which local politicians face the electorate in local elections, Wendy Maxwell, a carer from Norwich, is leading a delegation of carers to meet with Ivan Lewis, Minister for Carers to highlight the difficulties carers face, and find out how the Government plans to support carers.

Championing carers health in Leeds
18 April 2008 Carers in Leeds have had a major breakthrough in getting carers’ recognition from local health services. They campaigned for a health champion to be appointed to give carers issues priority within the PCT and persuaded the Chief Executive to appoint a senior manager to take on the carers portfolio. Two key figures talk about how carers made this happen and how it is already having an impact.

Helping hidden carers get support
18 April 2008 Like any area, South West Surrey has vast numbers of ‘invisible’ hidden carers who don’t know what support is available and struggle on alone. Carers in Guildford and Waverley were determined to tackle this. By getting GPs and the local MP involved in activities they have raised the profile of carers and help carers to come forward.

Meet Ghazala: a carer from Coventry
18 April 2008 Ghzala Ahmad carers for her daughter Aisha in Coventry. She braved the local media to talk about caring and carers' rights which resulted in carers coming forward to find support. Since then she has become a champion for local carers. She talks speaking out for carers and why the media is a powerful friend for carers.

Meet Caroline, a carer from Northern Ireland
02 April 2008 Caroline from Enniskillen, Northern Ireland was the main carer for her son, now 30, who has a learning disability for 25 years. After she managed to get independent living arrangements put in place for her son, she became a carer representative on her local Health Trust. She is setting up a forum to increase carers’ voice in local services. She tells us about her experience of representing carers, and how carers can be equal partners.

Make disabled children matter where you live!
01 April 2008 The Every Disabled Child Matters campaign needs carers' help to get their local authorties and PCTs to sign up to charters to promote services for disabled families.

Every Disabled Child Matters campaign win on short breaks
20 March 2008 The Every Disabled Child Matters Campaign has won a major breakthrough in its campaign to give all families of disabled children the right to a break - local authorities will now be under a duty to provide short breaks.

Meet Rosemary, a 'virtual campaigner'
12 March 2008 Rosemary cared for her mother and now helps care for her brother in Newcastle. She is an experienced campaigner for carers' rights, and is a longstanding contributor to Carers UK's online forum. She talks about her experience and why for carers, its "good to talk"

Real change in Rotherham
28 February 2008 Carers in Rotherham have achieved real succes with their campaigning, which has improved life for local carers. Carer representative Jeanette Mallinder talks about what they've achieved and how they got there.

Meet Enid, a carer campaigner from Birmingham
06 February 2008 Enid has been caring for her mother all her life. She is an executive member of Birmingham Carers Association and sits on a number of committees including the Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Forum. She took part in her local Commission for Social Care (CSCI) inspection and has also been involved with training social workers. She also speaks at conferences and events.

Anne Meader, a carer from Hampshire shares her success
18 December 2007 Anne Meader has had 17 year's experience caring for family members. She's not stood back but has used her knowledge and know-how to help other carers, and professionals to improve local services. She talks about what she's done and how to get change.

Meet Anne, a carer campaigning for change in Durham
16 November 2007 Anne Stobbs, a carer from County Durham, cares for her daughter Diane, who has a learning disability. Anne found that getting involved in local groups and forums is an effective way of getting carers' voices heard. She talks about her experience and tips for other carers.

Lobby MPs to take up Bill for Carers
16 November 2007 Every Disabled Child Matters (EDCM) is the campaign to get rights and justice for every disabled child. They have produced a bill to give families of disabled children a short break - help get MPs to take this up.

Campaigning for mental health carers
01 October 2007 Ray Churchill has been campaigning for carers of people with mental health problems for 23 years. He talks about his experience, success and what Gordon Brown needs to do to make a difference for carers.

Carers in Nottinghamshire seek justice
21 August 2007 Carers in Nottingham set up 'Justice for Carers' because they were not being listened to on important local issues such as transport, care homes and education. Co-ordinator Sarah Hemstock tells us what makes the group special and what it has achieved.

I'm a modern day slave, carer tells MPs
20 July 2007 Carer Preethi Manuel, who has cared for her daughter Zarah for 19 years, made politicians sit up and think when she addressed a parliamentary group on carers in the House of Commons. She told her moving story of how being a carer had left her struggling on benefits, and gave MPs some suggestions of practical help they could give her and the many other carers out there in dire need of help.

Counting carers
12 July 2007 Lancashire Carer Norman Gardner has achieved a major breakthrough for carers in Lancashire. His campaigning with other local carers has led to the Council indicating that they will include a question on carers in a questionnaire which they circulate to local residents.

The Write stuff
29 May 2007 Cheryl Dobbinson is a carer from South Wales. She’s been looking after her 86 year old Mum for the last 13 years. Cheryl is behind a letter writing campaign, inspired by carers she has met through the Internet, which she hopes will cause politicians to sit up and take notice. We spoke to her about “Cheryl’s letter” and what she wants carers to do.

Carer campaigning on continuing care
01 May 2007 Stephen Johnson cares for his brother Rod who is profoundly disabled and has been battling to get the NHS to pay for his continuing care needs for several years. He talks about his fight and why carers need to vote with their feet.

Meet Jaya, a carer from Lambeth
12 April 2007 Jaya, cares for her son who has mental health problems, in South London,. She is heavily involved in her local services and has also spoken up in the press to get carers' views heard.

Carers target local election candidates
03 April 2007 Carers in Wigan and Leigh in the North West had a letter published in their local paper highlighting the need for carers' concerns to be addressed in the local election campaign.

Meet Beryl, a carer from Denbeighshire, North Wales
16 March 2007 Beryl is a carer taking part in Equal Partners. She sits on her local Patient Public Involvement Forum, and has voiced carers' issues strongly with her local hospital.

Be a voice for carers!
07 March 2007 Could you tell your story to the press? Carers UK needs carers to come forward and talk to the media about what its like to be a carer, how you've raised awareness of carers rights, and other campaigning success.

Meet Charlotte, a carer from Essex
21 February 2007 Charlotte carers for her son disabled son Ben in Essex. She represents carers on local and regional forums to help get carers' voices heard in social services.

Carer Jill Pay helps launch the National Carers Strategy
21 February 2007 Jill Pay, carers for her daughter Rowan in Camden. She was visited by the Chancellor Gordon Brown, and Minister for Care Services Ivan Lewis to launch the National Carers Strategy. She talks about this and her campaigning experience.

Meet David from Aberdeen
16 February 2007 David, from Aberdeen, carers for his mother. Two years ago she was left in hospital with no-one to care for her. David had to fight social services for the right to care for her at home, and after a year, won his battle. He tells his story.

Carers put priorities to MSPs
12 February 2007 Carers in Scotland highlighted their major concerns for the Executive to take forward at a human rights event in the Parliament.

Interview : Carer Russ Safford speaks about his campaigning
07 February 2007 Russ Safford, a carer taking part in Equal Partners has seen things change as a result of his efforts - he talks about his campaigning success.

Information services in Swansea
05 February 2007 Dave Burgess, Chair of Swansea got together with other carers groups in Swansea got together to campaign for better information on benefits and services and increased breaks for carers. This led to money from the Carers Special Grant being used to provide new help and services for carers.

Carers grant funding secure until 2010 in Manchester
01 February 2007 With the Carers Grant in England only guaranteed until 2008, many carers’ services face an uncertain future. Manchester Carers have managed to get the Council’s agreement to fund Carers Grant Projects until 2010

The decision maker, the professional and the carer
01 February 2007 Read three perspectives on carer involvement.