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Help is at hand
Caring for a sick or disabled relative is a labour of love for thousands of adults and young people.
In Blackpool alone, there are at least 15,000 adult carers and around 600 under-18s who incorporate this vital family role into their daily lives.
Carers Blackpool, the charity which cares for the carer, has one young carer on its books aged just nine.
Many carers are juggling work, or school, with looking after a relative or disabled child and because of the nature of care, many go unnoticed.
Michelle Smith, director of Carers Blackpool, estimates there could be 2,000 "hidden" carers locally
"They think of themselves as ordinary people doing ordinary things for ordinary people.
"In so many cases what they are doing is extraordinary," she said.
This is Carers' Week – highlighting and celebrating the contribution they make.
Today, representatives from Carers Blackpool will be at Palatine Library from 2pm to 5pm, and at Tesco Clifton road, store, from 10am-noon tomorrow and Houndshill Shopping Centre on Thursday from 9am-1pm. On Friday there is a carers garden party at the centre in Robson Way, from 11am-3pm.
As director, Michelle's role is to source funding and to oversee and develop the service to carers, to ensure they get the help the need any benefits they are entitled to, and the breaks they deserve.
"We are working with NHS Blackpool and Blackpool Council to try to develop a strategy to ensure that carers are able to take a break from that caring role," said Michelle.
"It may be just a break to go into town to look round the shops, or to to go away for a two week holiday but the respite care has to be there.
"Carers, nationally, save the
government 87 billion a year – 6,000 people will become a carer every day.
"You can become a carer overnight, through accident or illness or the birth of a child with special needs. It could happen to any of us.
"Our role is to support the carers to provide them with a good solid service at a really lively centre with lots going on."
Michelle took over the job of manager in January - just a few months after leaving her job as director of development at Trinity Hospice to study for a masters degree.
"But then this job came up and I was attracted to it because I had dealt with carers while I was at the hospice."
Now combining work and study, she finds one enhances the other. Her master's is in voluntary sector management.
"When you become involved in the voluntary sector you get huge interest in it and how it fits together when all agencies, voluntary and statutory, come together to support people on the margins of society.
"It is fascinating see how all the agencies come together like a huge jigsaw.
"There are so many people giving up their time for nothing, they give up hours and hours of their time with no recognition.
"Without these people we wouldn't cope," said Michelle, who had worked in finance before joining the hospice staff.
Prior to that she had been a volunteer for 12 years. Her dad, Sydney Gee, died in the hospice.
As a busy mum of two, Michelle helped out for a few hours a month - an illustration that voluntary work can fit in to anyone's life.
"From the people who give their professional skills, financial or legal, to those who make the tea. Every volunteer is really important," she said.
Knowing the voluntary sector from both sides is a real asset to her
management role and she still finds time to act as voluntary mentor for the Prince's Trust and is a trustee of Blackpool's Grand Theatre and a member of Fylde Soroptimists.
Michelle has enormous respect for the unsung army of unpaid carers and wants to get the best for them, be it a chance to have a relaxing massage; let off steam at a drop-in session; enjoy gardening therapy or for kids, a chance just to act like kids.
A "Picking up the Pieces" session has been started to help bereaved carers, lost once their job is done.
But the work of Carers Blackpool, which is an offshoot of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, takes money and volunteers, and Michelle is hoping the community will rally to the cause – by organising fundraising events, or giving their time to help with
administration or activities at the centre in Robson Way.
To find out more contact the centre on 393748 or visit www.carers.org/blackpool
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Weather for Blackpool
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 12 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
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