What is Care for Carers?
We are a Carers Group Support Association – this means we help any carers, whether they belong to a support group, are on their own or work for any agency that helps carers. We also work together with other Carers organisations by holding “Carers Information Days” in June and October at the Norwich Forum.
Care for Carers was started November 8th 2007 by Peter and Christine Rowley. We had read an article in one of the papers about what carers have to cope with so we started up a website that would give as much information on caring for people in Norfolk as we could.
Peter and I cared for my mother on a part time basis and are now in the process of caring for my father whose wife has dementia. At the time we did not think we were carers, like so many people out there looking after family members.
We started out by thinking we could start up support groups in several areas but realised that lots of people a. don’t think their carers, b. others find it difficult to get out to meetings. We congratulate those support groups out there who are making a difference to lots of carers as we realise the recession has been unkind to many.
On thinking our strategy over we knew our strength lay in reaching carers through the Caring Organisations by putting on “Carers Information Days”, which not only helps carers but the organisations are able to network and help each other gain knowledge of what each one does. We feel that by working and communicating more often with each other we can make a big difference, which will be to the benefit of all carers.
Our motto is “Together we are Strong”
Care for Carers started out slowly but we have now gained a wealth of knowledge and are getting stronger and stronger in our aim to help carers.
We have a strong committee who are all volunteers and we could not do without their help, experience and the need for the wellbeing of others.
Our committee members are:
- Dr.Ian Gibson
- Derek James
- Mike Sands
- Jo Storie
- Peter Rowley
- Christine Rowley
- Scott Porter.
Our Aims and Objectives
Care for Carers is designed to help Carers, Carers Support Groups, and Carers Organisations. Membership shall be free to all Carers Groups.
Our aims and objectives are:
- Care for Carers has been established to give support, information and advice where appropriate to carers support groups in the UK.
- To foster mutual help, co-operation and friendship between carers groups, carers and those being cared for.
- To welcome everyone equally and take steps to make Care for Carers open and accessible.
- To make sure that everyone within Care for Carers understands and respects confidentiality.
- To listen to each other and respond with sensitivity.
- To provide accurate and practical information but not give medical or legal advice or make recommendations inappropriately.
- To support each other through trouble and problems.
- To work in co-operation with the health care professionals.
- To promote awareness regarding the problems and circumstances of carers groups and to encourage acceptance and support in the community.
- To use the income from fund raising to support further meetings, to act as an educational resource or to support projects that have been agreed by the committee.