Over the past year, Carer Friendly Communities has really blossomed, as more organisations and individuals have embraced the idea that communities function best when we thrive in all areas of our life and work.
Our motto is that Carer Friendly Communities are places that open their eyes and hearts to the unpaid Carers who are our friends, neighbours, clients and colleagues. This helps us all remember that with over 9 million unpaid Carers across the UK, Carers are an integral part of any community.
In 2021, a further 378 Carers registered for our award-winning Carer Friendly photo ID and Discount Card. With our card, Carers can quickly and effortlessly verify their caring role and access hundreds of online discounts, and some high street offers – saving up to £400 a year.
The annual Carers Week each June gives us a platform to amplify our Carer Friendly message and this year saw our largest online Conference, with 22 awareness and support sessions spreading the Carer Friendly message to over 4,700 people.
Across 2021, we expanded our Carer Friendly Business community by 45 with a wide range of organisations, from retailers, schools and healthcare settings, joining us in our mission to create Carer Friendly Communities. Of course, being Carer Friendly means different things to different organisations.
Some organisations provide a unique offer or discount to Carers holding their ID card, others provide flexible booking to accommodate Carers’ sometimes unpredictable lives, while some employers understand that 1 in 7 staff juggle an unpaid caring role at home and make adjustments to help their staff better balance work and care. We love to celebrate Carer Friendly people and places, so do drop us a line if you’d like to tell us about your Carer Friendly activities.
This year’s third annual Carer Friendly Business Awards was a hybrid event; we reached 3,821 people with our online awards ceremony and hosted our winners at an inspiring event in-person to celebrate best practice in supporting Carers. Check out our next Carer Friendly Business blog to find out why our winners think being Carer Friendly is good for business.
Find out how you can become a Carer Friendly Organisation or Employer or purchase your Carer Friendly ID and Discount card here. Feel free to drop us a line at carerfriendly@forwardcarers.org.uk for a friendly chat.
