Carers get chance to take care of themselves

Mayor Zulfiqar Ali gave his support to carers in the borough

At events to mark this year’s National Carers Week hundreds of local carers took the chance to enjoy a little time to their selves, check on their health and seek support.

The events, organised by Rochdale Borough Council’s Carers’ Resource, offered carers stress-busting massage and beauty therapy as well as health and fitness-boosting checks on blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.

The celebrations kicked off at the Middleton Arena and continued throughout the borough with events in Middleton, Heywood and Rochdale. The carers who went along give up much of their lives to care for a loved one, often juggling their time between care work and their day jobs. Research suggests there may be over 21,000 people in the borough providing this absolutely vital care to friends and relatives.

The Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Zulfiqar Ali, and the council’s new Executive Director for Adult Care, Sheila Downey, were at the arena to launch the week.

Ms Downey said: “National Carers Week demonstrates the vital role local carers play in looking after the most vulnerable people in our borough. It’s fantastic to see so many carers here today who not only care for their relatives but also volunteer with the carers’ resource and offer help to other carers. All our care services are deeply indebted to them.”

With the borough seeing an increasing number of male carers, special ‘men only’ events were introduced this year with activities like neck and shoulder massage, reflexology sessions and haircuts on offer.

Kevin Davies, recently awarded ‘Older Volunteer of the Year’ by the Council for Voluntary Services Rochdale, said: “Things were very different when I first started looking after my wife, I felt on my own. Thanks to the carers’ resource there’s now a place where we can get together to get the help and support we need.”