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Join us for Carers Rights Day 2022

We are looking forward to welcoming our carers for a face-to-face event to mark Carers Rights Day on Friday November 25th.

Each year, Carers Rights Day helps to ensure carers are aware of their rights, let carers know where to get help and support, and raises awareness of the needs of carers.

This year our event will be held at The Platform, Faringdon Road, Swindon, SN1 5BJ. The nearest parking, less than five minutes away, is at Bristol Street Car Park (SN1 5EQ).

Caring for someone can have a significant effect on your finances. This year, we will be focusing on the Cost-of-Living Crisis and the impact on unpaid carers. Timings for the event are:

10am Doors open for registration, tea and coffee

10.20am Presentations begin

11.30am Q&A session, to include Swindon MPs

12.15pm Our marketplace opens, with stallholders available to offer individual advice

1.30pm Marketplace closes and event finishes

We realise that you may not be able to make the whole day. Please feel free to drop in and come for part of the day if you’re not able to make the entire event. Everyone is welcome, whether you are new to your caring role or you have been caring for a while.

Our speakers will include:

· David Miles, Public Health Practitioner – Affordable Warmth, Swindon Borough Council

· The team at Swindon Citizens Advice

· Sarah-Jane Peffers, Associate Director of Patient Safety and Quality (and Carers Lead) NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)

· Public Health – Swindon Communities Working together

The Q&A panel will include:

· Sir Robert Buckland, MP for South Swindon

· Justin Tomlinson, MP for North Swindon

· Alison Barker, Director, Adults, Health and Housing, Swindon Borough Council

· Timothy Saint, Benefits Service Coordinator, Swindon Carers Centre

· Claire Newport, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice Swindon

At our marketplace you’ll be able to meet:

· Swindon Citizens Advice

· Swindon Carers Centre Welfare and Benefits Team

· Warm and Safe Wiltshire

· Thames Water

· Phoenix Enterprises

· Neuro Wellbeing Centre

· Healthwatch Swindon

· Mark Tidey, Food Partnerships Officer at Swindon Borough Council

· Swindon Borough Council Family Hubs

· Dressability

We will also be sharing information about the new Carers Forum at Swindon Carers Centre, and Discount for Carers – a UK-wide scheme offering exclusive discounts for carers. We won’t be providing lunch, but we will have tea, coffee and light refreshments available.

Free health checks for carers

We are able to offer free health checks for our carers, thanks to Kingswood Surgery, Swindon, who are supporting our Carers Rights Day event. A health professional will be available to ask you some questions, measure your height and weight, and take your blood pressure if you would like to take advantage of this on the day.

Would you like to attend with the person you care for?

We have arranged for two paid caregivers from Home Instead to support us at the event. They will run activities for a small number of dependents so that our carers can sit and listen in on the day. If you are interested in this, please email heather.goldsmith@swindoncarers.org.uk or call 07841 503849. Places are limited for this, so we are asking our carers to book on a first come, first served basis.

How to register

You don’t have to register to come along. However, it would help us if you’re able to do this, as we can plan for the number of people we think we’ll have on the day. Please use our Eventbrite link to let us know you can attend.

If you’d like any more information, you can contact the Communications Team by emailing communications@swindoncarers.org.uk or calling Anne Saunders on 07435 961071. We look forward to seeing you there!