Why unpaid carers must be recognised well beyond Carers Week - the Yorkshire Evening Post says

Thousands of people across our city are caring for loved ones during one of the most challenging times.

This week marks Carers’ Week, the annual event highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face, and recognises the contribution they make – not just to society, but to those who need them most.

And this year’s celebration takes place at a time when up and down the country, carers are facing unprecedented challenges and strain during the coronavirus lockdown.

For many they haven’t left the house – they are too afraid to leave their family members they are shielding exposed to the pandemic.

And they need support more than ever before.

Take Sarah and Victor Choules from Leeds for example.

Six years ago on Valentine’s Day, Sarah Choules’s life changed forever when she was diagnosed with a rare condition, Neuro-Behçet’s disease, which caused her brain stem to swell, affecting just about everything imaginable – she lost her sight, her memory, was unable to walk unaided and could not eat without choking.

From a “fiercely independent” teacher, mother, grandmother and wife, her world had changed.

So too did that of her husband Victor, who had to immediately give up his job as a transport manager at a car parking firm to care for Sarah 24 hours a day.

The Yorkshire Evening Post today salutes each and every single carer out there – you should all be proud of the lifeline you provide.

But your efforts must be recognised beyond one week of the year.

And that sentiment is echoed by Carers Leeds - and their chief executive has echoed calls for carers to make sure they reach out to them for support when they need it the most.

We need to make sure that unpaid carers remain visible now more than ever before.