Carers Week 2025: Do you know anyone missing out on support for looking after someone else?

Caregivers in Gateshead are being encouraged to find out more about the support they can receive for free this Carers Week.

Caregivers (also known as carers) can be anyone over the age of 18 who looks after someone else but isn't paid for their care. This includes people who look after a family member, friend or neighbour by helping them to do things like food shopping, preparing meals, collecting medications or getting to any health and wellbeing appointments.

We recognise Young Adult Caregivers as those between the ages of 18-25 who look after someone, unpaid. Being a Young Adult Caregiver can have a big impact on the things that are important to growing up, such as education, work, housing and health.

Young Carers are those under 18 who help to look after someone that they live with who is ill, disabled or is living with addiction. Most children and young people help at home in some way, but young carers do more than their peers. Their family members rely on their help to do the things that they find difficult or can't do at all.  

Caregivers Connected Gateshead, run by The Carers' Federation, is based in Aidan House near the town centre and offers support for caregivers and young carers across the borough.

The team offers a range of support including:

• Emotional, practical and financial information, advice and guidance
• Adult, parent carer and young carer assessments
• Peer support groups
• Volunteering opportunities
• Befriending service
• Skills and training workshops
• Outreach activities for young carers.

Caregivers Connected Gateshead and partners will be supporting a series of events throughout Carers Week (Monday 9 until Friday 13 June). These include:

Monday 9 June 2025

• Benefits Advice at Felling Family Hub, 9am until 12pm

Find out more about the financial support you may be missing out on at this friendly and welcoming drop-in session.

• Carers' Week Cuppa at St Joseph's Church, 10am until 12pm

Join caregivers from across the borough to celebrate the week with free refreshments. We'll also be joined by lots of our friends from local support services, including Age UK Gateshead, Alzheimer's Society, Health Works Newcastle and NHS Social Prescribing services.

Wednesday 11 June 2025

• Picnic in the Park at Saltwell Park Towers, 5-7.30pm

An evening celebration event for all caregivers of all ages, with food provided, as well as games and the opportunity to meet other Caregivers from across Gateshead.

Cllr John Adams, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Gateshead Council, said: "So many of our residents are providing care for their friends, family and neighbours without realising they may be entitled to support.

"Not everyone will call themselves a Caregiver, and they don't have to if they don't want to - but they're still able to access support from our commissioned Caregivers service.

"Carers Week is a fantastic campaign that raises awareness of the importance of caregivers, who are the unsung heroes of our communities. Whether you're already part of the caregiving community or you've never heard of being a Caregiver, you can join the team to find out what help you could be getting and also be welcomed into a support network of kind and compassionate people like you."

Caregivers Connected Gateshead offer support and run drop-in events that are free to attend all year round. To find out more, register for updates at Caregivers Connected Gateshead.

The service is free to access and is funded by Gateshead Council and the NHS. For more information on support available, visit Support for Caregivers.