Motion: Carers Week 2010, A Life of Their Own

Carers Week 2010, A Life of Their Own

Lodged by Cathy Peattie Members' Business Motion 32 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament notes that the theme of the 10th annual Carers Week, from 14 to 20 June 2010, is A Life of Their Own, and that, during this week, carers’ centres across Scotland will hold events to celebrate the contribution that unpaid carers make; applauds the valuable work of the Carers Week partners in Scotland, including Carers Scotland, the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and MacMillan Cancer Care, and the work locally of centres such as Falkirk and Clackmannanshire Carers Centre, which offers a valuable resource to the 30,619 carers in its area; recognises the importance of supporting carers to allow them to have a life of their own and enjoy activities that most of us take for granted, such as family occasions, going on holiday, a meal out, or relaxing for an evening with no worries or responsibilities and the need to ensure that carers have access to relevant and practical information to help them with their caring role, the opportunity to take a break when they need it, support at times of crisis and an adequate level of financial support; acknowledges the contribution made by approximately 100,000 young carers in Scotland who might experience isolation, be bullied and constantly worry about the person for whom they care and experience poorer outcomes as a result of their caring role; notes new research carried out by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and the Children's Society, which shows that over two thirds of young carers are bullied at school, that more than half felt unsupported or misunderstood by their teachers and that 39% said that none of the teachers at their school was even aware of their caring role; and believes that the new Young Carers Strategy needs to bring together key policies and the work of a range of partners for young carers to be allowed to be children and young people first and have the same hopes, dreams and aspirations as their peers.

Supporters (32)