Putting carers on the map

A call to action
Carers Week 2024 is not just about raising awareness; it’s a call to action. The campaign encourages individuals, communities, organisations, and policymakers to play their part by...

Recognising
By acknowledging their contributions and expressing gratitude for their efforts.
Supporting
By providing access to essential services, resources, and respite care.
Advocating
By raising awareness of their needs and championing policies that support their well-being.

Putting Carers on the Map is not just for the week. It’s a commitment to ensuring that carers’ vital contributions are recognised, valued and supported. By working together, we can create a society that truly values and empowers the millions of unpaid carers who make a difference in our lives every day. To find out more and discover what is happening and ways to get involved, visit www.carersweek.org.

North Argyll Carers Centre
A carer is someone who is caring for and supporting a family member, friend or neighbour who has a disability, illness, mental health condition or who needs extra help as they grow older. They don’t get paid for doing this and many are reluctant to call themselves ‘carers’ as they feel it’s “just something you do for someone you care about”.

Carers Week 2024 runs from June 10 to June 16. It is an annual event to recognise the incredible contribution unpaid carers make to our community and to raise awareness of the challenges they face. This unpaid workforce work 24/7 with no pay, no employment rights, no holidays and no sick pay. They deserve our recognition and respect.

The demands on them have increased significantly in recent years, initially because of the covid pandemic and subsequently because of worsening difficulties in social and home care delivery.

The number of unpaid carers needing support in Oban, Lorn and the Isles has soared by 30 per cent in the past year as the cost-of-living crisis bites, North Argyll Carers Centre has warned. Figures show 1,013 people were registered with the charity in 2023/24, up from 779 the year before. 

Many have found their caring roles have increased because of the lack of availability of home care. This impacts on their work and has prompted many to reduce their working hours or leave paid employment all together. Carers responding to Carers Trust’s 2023 adult carer survey characterised themselves as “forgotten, neglected and burnt out”.

The survey found that
- one in eight carers - 12 per cent - are now caring for at least 50 hours a week more than they used to.
- More than two thirds - 68 per cent - are unable to get a respite break from their caring role when needed.
- a third - 36 per cent - of unpaid carers don’t think the NHS understands their caring responsibilities or provides adequate support to them.

Only 38 per cent say Carer’s Allowance is enough to make a meaningful difference to them. Carers have been disproportionately affected by the rise in the cost of living.

 A Scottish Government report estimated that the minimum cost of living in remote rural Scotland is between 15 and 30 per cent higher than urban parts of the UK and the 2023 Carer’s Trust report indicated that more than 30 per cent of carers report they incur additional costs associated with caring.

This year’s Carers Week theme is “Putting Carers On The Map.” North Argyll Carers Centre has been asking carers from across the area to send in selfies or photographs of something meaningful to them in their caring role so that they can be added to a map displaying a pin for every carer supported.

To celebrate Carers Week, the Carers Centre will be running activities for carers throughout the week. Tuesday sees the launch of the new Argyll and Bute Carers Strategy which will take place on Tuesday afternoon at the Carers Centre as part of a day-long drop-in coffee and chat session.

Look out for the team around the town on Wednesday too and feel free to drop a donation in the tin if you spot them. You might spy them on Ganavan Beach on Friday as well, where with Oban and Lorn Healthy Options, they will be holding a Qi Gong session for carers.

For more information about the activities or to find out more about the support available for carers, call North Argyll Carers Centre on 01631 564422, email info@northargycarers.org.uk, look them up on Facebook or check out the website www.northargyllcarers.org.uk

Lochaber Hope

What does community mean to you? For us, it is everything. New Connections is a place where anyone is welcome to drop in - once a day or once in a while. You can join one of our craft groups, seek support, chat about books or play Scrabble. We have the Vintage Café run by The Montrose Centre on Wednesdays and Fridays and warm spaces to come and chinwag with a cuppa the rest of the week. You can find all our groups and café times on our timetable.

We also host exciting events. The next is a ‘Swap Don’t Shop’ Market on the July 1 when you can save your purse strings and the planet by donating unwanted summer items in the weeks before, then come along to pick up what you need on the day. School uniforms, garden toys and summer clothes… everything welcome.

This will be followed by a fabulous craft market on August 12 featuring some of the best hand-made crafts Lochaber has to offer. And if getting thrifty is your thing, we have even more for you. Starting soon are our ‘Beat Your Budget’ sessions - easy, free, inter-active sessions to get a better handle on your household budget with a qualified tutor who’ll be helping you make your budget work for you. It doesn’t have to be scary or boring. Come along and find out more.

New Connections is open Monday to Friday 9am till 5pm and on Saturdays for special events. Check our social media for more information.

Crossroads North Argyll

Are you an Unpaid Carer?

If you look after a relative/friend/neighbour who has an illness, a disability, is frail, has an addiction or mental health issues, and they could not manage without your support, then you are an unpaid carer.
Crossroads North Argyll is a locally managed charity covering Oban, Lorn and the Isles. We provide a respite service for unpaid carers to enable them to have some time to themselves.

Even a brief period of respite can benefit the unpaid carer, helping them to cope better in their daily lives. This helps to promote and maintain wellbeing, independence and choice for both the unpaid carer and the cared-for. Crossroads North Argyll aims to meet the needs of local unpaid carers as early as possible in their caring role, to hopefully prevent the unpaid carer reaching a crisis.

Our service covers the Oban and Lorn area – out to Taynuilt, Dalmally and Kilchrenan; Benderloch and Appin; South of Oban to Kilmelford and the Isle of Seil, and all places in between.
We also provide a service on Mull and have recently started a new service on Tiree.

If you or someone you know may benefit from some respite, please contact Joan Best, Manager, Crossroads North Argyll on 01631 562277 or pop in and see us at our office at 2 Gibraltar Street, Oban for a chat and a coffee. You can also check our website and Facebook page for more information:- 
Website: www.crossroadsnorthargyll.co.uk 
Facebook: www.facebook.com/crossroadsna.org.uk 

Care Lochaber

Care Lochaber’s Community Car scheme is a lifeline for a lot of vulnerable people in the Lochaber area.  We have been running this scheme since 1997 and transport individuals to and from appointments, take them shopping or just take them to visit a friend.  We also do some assisted shops and pick up prescriptions.
We charge £6.00 return to go anywhere in the Fort William area and the Volunteer Driver will pick you up and return you home after your appointment.

The drivers are all very friendly and enjoy a chat with the clients in the car, which makes them feel at ease.  If you need assistance in and out of the car the driver can help you.

We also have Volunteer Drivers in Kinlochleven, Glencoe, Onich and Ballachulish. We run monthly events for people who find it difficult to socialise and these have been very successful. We have visited the cinema, had afternoon teas, and had a musical afternoon where everyone had a sing along.

Volunteer Drivers of the Community Car Scheme are the heart of Care Lochaber.  They make a huge difference to lives of the individuals around the Lochaber community allowing vulnerable individuals to get out and about whilst the volunteer learns new skills and builds relationships with other volunteers and clients. Without the help of volunteers Care Lochaber could not continue to offer such a valuable service for the local community.  

We are looking for volunteer drivers to help transport Care Lochaber passengers, by use of their own car to destinations organised through the car scheme.  All drivers are reimbursed for any expenses paid and receive 45 pence a mile for every journey taken.  

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer driver to help sustain such a valuable service for the community then please either pop into our office at The New Connections Building (Old Job Centre) or call and speak to Allison or Laura on 01397 701222. 

Dochas Carers Centre

Monday 10.6.24: Tayvallich Hall 10am to 12pm          

Wednesday 12.6.24 : Lucy’s in Ardfern 10am to 12pm

Tuesday 11.6.24:  Templer Hall in Tarbert 3pm to 5pm     

Thursday 13.6.24: Dochas Centre in Lochgilphead 12.30pm to 2pm and Nicoll Hall in Inverary 2pm to 4pm

A morning cuppa and cake in Campbeltown on  Tuesday June 11th between 11am and 1pm at  a venue to be confirmed. Carers strategies will be available to take away.

Islay and Jura – A carers day on Jura on Thursday June 13th.