Carers come from all walks of life, all cultures and can be of any age. Many feel they are just doing what anyone else would do in the same situation; looking after their mother, son or best friend and just getting on with it, but without the right support carers may find their own health and wellbeing suffers in the process.

Caring for a person with health needs or disabilities can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience but there can also be challenging aspects to caring. Many carers report that they suffer from stress and anxiety, feelings of guilt, a loss of confidence and a feeling that they cannot take some time for themselves away from the caring role.

Carers are often looking after people who live with complex health conditions and it is not unusual for carers to look after more than one person. Managing the welfare of the person you care for often means less time managing your own work/life balance, which can leave Carers feeling overstretched and under pressure. The majority of Carers struggle alone ignoring their own needs, not even realising how their caring role has impacted their own life.

Your wellbeing is at the heart of the sessions we run for carers. We aim firstly to encourage you to think about your own health and secondly, to enable you to build up resilience, so that you can carry on in your caring role with greater confidence if you wish to do so.

Gateshead Carers Association has worked alongside caregivers in Gateshead for over twenty years. We have specialist and understanding staff who are aware of the needs of caregivers and the challenges they face.

Get Involved in Gateshead's Caring Community 

We run sessions for carers in informal small groups where carers can talk openly. The sessions allow you to get away from your caring role and spend time looking after yourself. The groups are made up of carers who experience similar challenges. Talking to other people who are in similar situations can be a great help when you are feeling stressed.

At present, we offer groups and activities for carers to get involved in as well as offering 1-2-1 sessions with one of our experienced Carer Wellbeing Facilitators. We currently have a variety of groups and activities that you can attend online - these can be found on our Groups and Activities page.

Our website will be regularly updated to alert you to future dates and events.

All carers are warmly invited to join us for any or all of these sessions even if you have never used our services in the past.

"A little time for me!"

We understand that there are many challenges you will face daily as someone's carer. In fact, over 50% of carers provide 100+ hours of unpaid care per week. For carers who are currently receiving support from us, we can offer them access to our Carer Wellbeing Fund. This fund allows people with an unpaid caring role to make time for themselves and improve their own wellbeing. Find out more about the Carer Wellbeing Fund.