Making Space is helping build Carer Friendly Communities this Carers Week
Published 1 June 2026
Making Space is proud to support Carers Week 2026 (8–14 June), a national campaign that shines a light on the vital role unpaid carers play in our communities every day.
This year’s theme, Building Carer Friendly Communities, focuses on creating places where carers are recognised, understood and supported, whether that’s at home, in workplaces, within local services or across wider communities.
Established by Carers UK, Carers Week aims to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and help more people identify themselves as carers and access the support available to them.
The theme is calling on thousands of individuals and organisations to take action to ensure more communities understand, recognise and empower unpaid carers. From schools and universities to workplaces, businesses, health and social care services, and local community groups, even small changes can make a significant difference to carers’ daily lives and future opportunities.
Making Space has been supporting unpaid carers for more than 40 years, and we understand the increasing pressures many carers face while balancing caring responsibilities with work, family life, finances and their own wellbeing. This Carers Week, we are proud to stand alongside carers, communities and partner organisations in helping raise awareness and ensure carers feel seen, valued and empowered.
Lydia Woodall, Head of Community Carers and Wellbeing at Making Space, said:
Carers Week is an important opportunity to recognise the incredible contribution unpaid carers make to families, communities and society every single day.
This year’s theme, Building Carer Friendly Communities, is about making sure carers feel understood, supported and able to access help without feeling isolated or overlooked. Many carers do not even identify themselves as carers at first, which can mean they miss out on valuable support, advice and opportunities to prioritise their own wellbeing.
At Making Space, we are passionate about creating safe, welcoming and supportive spaces where carers can connect with others, access practical information and take time for themselves. Throughout Carers Week, our teams will be hosting a range of activities and events designed to celebrate carers and remind them that they are not alone.
We’ll also be sharing the experiences of colleague carers within Making Space, helping shine a light on the realities of caring and the importance of building communities that truly recognise and value carers.
Real change can come from small actions, whether that’s greater understanding in workplaces, more accessible support in local services, or communities taking the time to recognise the role carers play every day. We all have a part to play in helping carers feel seen, supported and valued, including making sure working carers can access the flexibility, understanding and support they need to balance caring responsibilities alongside employment.
Recent discussions at the National Carers UK Conference in London, attended by our CEO Rachel Peacock alongside Lydia and Service Manager, Fasihah Kousar, also highlighted the importance of creating systems and workplaces that support carers rather than placing additional pressures on them. With one in five people in the UK identifying as unpaid carers, Making Space recognises that many colleagues are balancing work alongside caring responsibilities and is committed to ensuring support is available.
Rachel Peacock, CEO of Making Space, said:
One of the strongest messages from the conference was that carers need systems and workplaces that stand behind them, not in their way. At Making Space, we recognise that many colleagues are balancing work alongside caring responsibilities and we are committed to creating a workplace culture where carers feel seen, supported and able to ask for help when they need it.
Colleagues can access support through flexible working policies, carers leave, regular wellbeing conversations with managers, and our Employers for Carers membership (EfC), which provides practical advice, resources and guidance for working carers. Colleagues can also identify themselves as carers through our new Wellbeing Passport, helping managers better understand individual circumstances and any reasonable adjustments that may help.
Throughout Carers Week, Making Space will be sharing information, resources, personal stories and activities to help raise awareness of caring responsibilities and connect more carers with support.
Our colleague carers
Our colleague carers are team members whose lived experience or personal understanding of caring enriches the support they provide and reflects Making Space’s values of compassion, understanding and person-centred care. Their insight strengthens their work and helps ensure carers feel heard, understood and supported. This year we are sharing Chloe’s story:
Chloe Cadman, 28, Service Manager in Cheshire has been caring for her mum since she was 12 years old. Her mum is a below-knee amputee living with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease and other complex health conditions, and Chloe’s lived experience as a young carer inspired her career in social care and continues to shape the compassionate support she provides today.
You can read her full story here (pdf).
Being a carer has shaped so much of who I am, both personally and professionally. I’ve been caring for my mum from a young age and although it can be challenging at times, it’s also brought us incredibly close and taught me resilience, patience and compassion.
A lot of people don’t realise they are carers because they associate caring only with personal care, but caring can mean so many different things, from helping someone get to appointments to offering emotional support or simply being there when they need you.
This Carers Week is about helping carers feel seen, heard and supported in their communities. No matter what your caring role looks like, you deserve recognition and support, and you should never be afraid to reach out for help when you need it.
Making Space Carers Week 2026 events:
Friday 5 June:
- St Helens Family Support Afternoon Tea
Carers will enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea, hosted by our Family Support team.
Tuesday 9 June:
- Peterborough Carers Wellbeing Service Carers Picnic, 11am-1pm
Carers will be invited to enjoy a relaxed picnic at Ferry Meadows (Peterborough, PE2 5UU) to celebrate and thank them for all the dedication, compassion and support they provide every day. - Cheshire East Carers Hub ‘Carers Marketplace’, 10.30am-2.30pm
Taking place at Salinae Day Centre in Middlewich, with Cheshire East Adult Social Care. - Sandalwood Day Centre, Doncaster
Afternoon tea and cakes for carers. - Cambridgeshire Carers Wellbeing Support at Addenbrookes Hospital Exhibition, 10am-2pm
The team will be taking part and sharing on information on support available. - Bradford and Airdale Carer Support Service
Carers Picnic
Wednesday 10 June:
- Rotherham Dementia Carers Day Trip
Carers will be enjoying a day trip to Matlock - Cambridgeshire Carers Wellbeing Support Carers Picnic, 11am-1pm
Carers will be invited to enjoy a relaxed picnic at The Riverside Park, St Neots, PE19 7SA). Carers to celebrate and thank them for all the dedication, compassion and support they provide every day. - Peterborough Carers Wellbeing Service at PCC Carers Event, 11am-2pm
Hosted by Peterborough City Council, Sand Martin House (Bittern Way, PE2 8TY), carers can get advice on services and support and enjoy a buffet lunch, wellbeing sessions including hand massages, Reiki, and art therapy.
Thursday 11 June:
- Cheshire East Carers Hub ‘Carers Marketplace’, 10.30am-2.30pm
Taking place at Macclesfield Town Hall in Middlewich, with Cheshire East Adult Social Care. - Bradford and Airdale Carer Support Service Carers Bowling Trip
Carers will be enjoying an afternoon of ten pin bowling.
Find out more about Making Space carers services here.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, says:
Carers Week 2026 is a crucial chance for all of us to play a positive part in building carer friendly communities, to think about unpaid carers and how we can help them look after their health and wellbeing, their relationships and their financial security. Carers face challenges every step of the way in their lives. We need carer friendly communities to steer a better pathway to support, giving carers and the people they care for a better quality of life and better opportunities, regardless of their age and where they live. Let’s work together towards greater visibility and support.
Carers Week 2026 is organised by Carers UK alongside a range of national charity partners. For information and resources for carers, visit www.carersweek.org and follow the campaign using #CarersWeek.