A north east charity are highlighting the fantastic work carried out by the carers they work with, by inviting the Lord Lieutenant, Susan Winfield, to visit their support centre on North Tyneside on Tuesday 7th June.
PROPS – Positive Response to Overcoming Problems of Substance abuse – was founded in Scotswood in 1997 as a result of local women’s concerns regarding the need in their community for support for parents and partners of alcohol and drug misuse.
Their initial intention was to set up their own peer support group which would help those directly affected to cope with the problems they were facing. However, the group become active in addressing the issues surrounding drug and alcohol misuse, in particular the emotional, health and economic effect on carers. Being a carer in this environment brings unpredictable challenges, is emotionally draining and highly demanding.
Claire Robinson, CEO of PROPS says ” We support around 600 families who are affected in the Newcastle and North Tyneside area each year. Carers come to us when they hit crisis point, when they feel they have nowhere else to turn. It’s imperative that more families know that PROPS are here to support them.”
“We are getting better about talking about substance misuse but there is still a stigma attached that may prevent people and carers asking for help. The demands of carers in this situation is hugely underestimated.”
Carers Week, running from Monday 6th to Sunday 12th June, is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges that carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK .The campaign is brought to life by the individuals and organisations who come together to organise activities and events throughout the UK, drawing attention to just how important caring is.