CARERS across the city are taking the time to create rhymes, by writing poems offering an emotional and personal insight into life as a carer.
During National Carers Week 2018, which begins on June 11, poems by Sunderland carers will be used to raise awareness of the role of carers, providing insight into the challenges and responsibilities that care-giving roles involve.
NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning Group the (CCG), together with Sunderland City Council and Sunderland Carers Centre, hope the poems will shine a light on carers throughout the community.
The poetry is being recorded and will be shared across social media channels throughout the week. There is also a poetry social media network where individuals can share their own work and make friends
Amanda Brown, Sunderland Carers Centre Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The poems that the carers have written offer a very personal and emotional insight into their lives. Whether it’s the daily challenges they face or the lows they once reached – the poems ultimately show that there is help on hand for carers in the city.
“Taking up a care-giving role is a difficult position to be in, and the poems show this. They demonstrate that carers need support, and that is why the centre is here. We provide the necessary advice and guidance that helps a carer get through the tough times and see that there is always a support network here for them.
“We hope that the poems, combined with our other activities during National Carers Week, will bring more awareness to carers and help others recognise their care-giving role.”
As the country marks National Carers’ Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring and highlight the challenges carers face, Sunderland CCG and Sunderland City Council are keen to highlight services available to support carers and look after their health needs.
Rachel Lumsdon, Joint Commissioning Manager and Carers Lead, at the NHS Sunderland CCG, said: “The poems help to convey some really important messages about caring – be that the difficulty of coming to terms with their role, the daily challenges, or the support they received at Sunderland Carers.
“The CCG and the Council are committed to supporting carers and recognising the valuable contribution that they make to our communities and their support to our public services. We want to encourage carer awareness and working with Sunderland Carers we are promoting carer support available in GP practices and the voluntary sector.”
Across Sunderland there are 32,000 carers and support is available for people of all ages who are care-givers in the city. Staff at the CCG, local authority and the Carers Centre hope that this week-long campaign will help raise awareness and encourage more carers to ask for support at their GP Practice or the at the Carers Centre.
To listen to readings of the poems, visit:
To find out more about Sunderland Carers Centre, visit www.sunderlandcarers.co.uk, call them on 0191 549 3768 or pop in to the Centre on Thompson Road.