Can your business help support unpaid carers?

Carers’ Week – a week of raising awareness and highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face and the contributions they make to families and their communities – is taking place between 9 – 15 June 2025.

Unpaid carers are an essential part of our Royal Borough Community, helping to look after family members and friends who have a disability, mental or physical illness, addiction, or who need extra support as they grow older.

Many unpaid carers don’t recognise themselves as such, simply doing whatever is needed to help the person they love. Whilst many feel that caring is one of the most important things they do, its’ challenges should not be underestimated. The impact of caring on all aspects of life from relationships and health to finances and work can be significant. 

This year the theme is ‘Caring About Equality’ highlighting the inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including a greater risk of poverty, social isolation, poor mental and physical health. Far too often, carers of all-ages miss out on opportunities in their education, careers, or personal lives, just because of their caring role. Find out more about the national Carer’s Week scheme here.

It is vitally important that we recognise the contribution carers make to their families and local communities, workplaces and society, and that they get the support they need. In the Royal Borough, we want to support unpaid carers by providing them with a wide range of support for their own physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

We have lots of support available from council services, the NHS and the voluntary and community sector but we need your help integrating support for unpaid carers within local businesses. As part of Carers Week, we want to help promote organisations and business that want to support carers and thank them for all they do for our communities.

Do you currently have an offer in your business that could help support unpaid carers? For example: 

• discount offers 
• introductory offers
• space for carers to meet (e.g. Talkin’ Tables, carers’ groups)
• staff training (e.g. domestic violence, dementia awareness) 
• special access (e.g. early opening hours)
• home services 

If your business has, or would like to provide an offer for unpaid carers, please contact: robyn.bunyan@rbwm.gov.uk or jennifer.hardy@rbwm.gov.uk, before Tuesday 13th May, as we’d love to talk with you.

Remember: Carers come from all walks of life and have lots of different interests – anyone can be a carer and every business has something to offer.