Sunderland carers put passion into poetry to mark week-long initiative in their honour

Carers from across Sunderland are writing unique poems to help the public understand what life is like in their roles.
Carers Week launched today and is running until June 18.Carers Week launched today and is running until June 18.
Carers Week launched today and is running until June 18.

During National Carers Week 2018, which launches today, 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.

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The poetry is being recorded and will be shared across social media channels throughout the week.

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.

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“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.”

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Carers Week is a national campaign aimed at raising awareness of highlighting the challenges carers face - and to coincide with the 2018 initiative, Sunderland CCG and city council are highlighting the services available to support them.

Around 32,000 carers currently work in the city.

Rachel Lumsdon, Join 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.”