Carers Leeds offers a helping hand to 72,000

A support charity which looks after unpaid carers has been giving the “invisible” a voice for more than two decades.
The team from Carers Leeds. The charity gives support, advice and information to unpaid carers aged 16 and over.The team from Carers Leeds. The charity gives support, advice and information to unpaid carers aged 16 and over.
The team from Carers Leeds. The charity gives support, advice and information to unpaid carers aged 16 and over.

Carers Leeds was set up in 1996 to help people doing a demanding role, whose own needs often went unnoticed.

Helena Bladon, its development manager, said: “When people approach our organisation they feel heard for the first time in their role as a carer. I think carers quite often feel invisible, the focus is always on the person with care needs.

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“So when they come here we say ‘We need to know about your caring role, but what we are interested in is you.’

Members of Carers Leeds write its name in the sand during a trip to the beach.Members of Carers Leeds write its name in the sand during a trip to the beach.
Members of Carers Leeds write its name in the sand during a trip to the beach.

People very much appreciate that: feeling that their needs are being attended to, that they are being cared for and looked after a bit as much as we can. We are really keen to make people feel comfortable and welcome. To feel as though it is somewhere where they can come and bring whatever they need to bring. It might be that they just want to have a cry or they might want to be cross about something.”

The Headrow-based charity acts as a sounding board as well as offering practical support on issues such as benefits entitlement and care issues. It also provides help on how to care for people with dementia and training for care professionals. Another element is helping carers deal with bereavement. The organisation also supports people who have been affected by someone else’s drug or alcohol use.

But it also gives people respite by running fun classes like the popular Creative Carers craft group. It also helps young carers, aged 16 to 25, enjoy me-time at the seaside.

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Helena, who has worked for the charity for 17 years, said: “A of carers find their social lives tend to dry up. Their own lives become more a bit more limited, and it is difficult to keep in touch with people. When I was a support worker I found a lot of people their lives had closed down quite a lot. They might not really see that many people and they would very much be stuck at home with the person they are looking after. They become very isolated and lonely.”

A group of volunteers get ready to mail out the Carers Leeds newsletter.A group of volunteers get ready to mail out the Carers Leeds newsletter.
A group of volunteers get ready to mail out the Carers Leeds newsletter.

Carers Leeds runs 30 different support groups across the city in a range of specialisms. It runs events for carers like coffee mornings, day trips and activities like a local history group. These are based on an informal peer support principle.

Carers Leeds gets funding for its vital work from a variety of sources. The Henry Smith Charity and Global’s Make Some Noise jointly fund the young carers project. Leeds City Council, Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group and Lottery funded project Time to Shine, which tackles social isolation among the elderly, also help fund services. As does Leeds Care Association, which funds a post working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. People can also donate to Carers Leeds directly though a button on its website.

The charity has 45 staff, mainly part-time, and 63 volunteers. They are led by chief executive Val Hewison, whom Helena described as a “very inspirational figure” who has made a huge contribution to the work of carers in Leeds.

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The dedicated team has a large task on its hands. At the time of the 2011 census there were an estimated 72,000 carers in Leeds.

A range of people are involved with Carers Leeds.A range of people are involved with Carers Leeds.
A range of people are involved with Carers Leeds.

Helena believes that figure may have reached 74,000 by now. She added: “We are very conscious of Leeds being a very diverse city. We are really committed to making our services accessible to all the diverse carers in Leeds and to having a really big reach out into the city.”

FACT FILE:

Carers Leeds is an independent charity that gives support, advice and information to unpaid carers aged 16 and over.

A carer is someone who, without payment, provides help and support to a parent, partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age, physical or mental health issues, substance misuse or disability.

The charity was established in 1996.

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It is based in the centre of Leeds, and also offers support in local communities, over the phone and online.

Carers Leeds’ team of expert support workers are dedicated to improving the lives of the 72,000 carers in Leeds.

The organisation, which is headed by chief executive Val Hewison, delivers confidential one-to-one and group support that helps carers keep on caring.

Carers Leeds works in partnership with community groups, local businesses and third sector organisations to give carers in Leeds a network of support that covers general and specialist carers issues.

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It is based on The Headrow where it offers a drop in service from Monday to Friday between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

The charity also runs an advice line (0113 380 4300). It is open from 9am to 4.30pm om Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 8am to 6.30pm on Wednesday. For more information see www.carersleeds.org.uk.

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