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Carers Week

Carers Week takes place every year to raise awareness of the issues that the UK's 6 million carers face. It's also an opportunity to celebrate the work that carers do.

Carers Week 2011

Carers Week logoWe were one of 9 national partners of Carers Week 2011 (13-19 June). Thousands of events and activities took place throughout the UK, around the theme 'The true face of carers'.

Our activities during Carers Week included:

We've posted some photos from the week on Flickr.


Watch David Cameron's Carers Week speech

At a Carers Week reception at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister told carers that the Government must commit its money, show more understanding and back personalisation.


Take action to support carers

Fill in our simple form to ask your MP to help improve the lives of carers.

We're asking everyone affected by Parkinson's to contact their MP to ask them to take action over the lack of proper support offered by Carer's Allowance, and the prospect of even fewer carers receiving it due to reforms of the benefits system.

Carers Week is a great way to raise awareness of the many issues that carers face, as well as celebrating the value of what carers do. It's also a chance for MPs to pledge their support for carers.

Getting involved with Carers Week is just one part of our policy and campaigns work to improve support for carers.

Hollywood royalty supports Carers Week

Dame Judi Dench, supporter of Carers Week 2011 (photo by Andrew Zuckerman)Hollywood actress Dame Judi Dench is one of several celebrities who supported Carers Week 2011. Dame Judi cared for her husband Michael who had lung cancer. He died in January 2001. She says:

"As someone with experience of caring for a loved one, I am happy to offer my support to Carers Week.

"3 in 5 people will be an unpaid carer at some point in their lives and many of them sacrifice everything to save our economy £87billion every year. It's time to give them something back."

Image right: Judi Dench (photo by Andrew Zuckerman)

Television stars Angela Rippon and Sir David Jason also gave their support to the week, along with World Cup winner Jack Charlton.

Parkinson's UK supporter and GMTV presenter John Stapleton also lent his support to the week and endorsed our new guide for carers of people with Parkinson's.

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