Young Carers Action Day this year took place on 16th March and the theme was Protecting Young Carers’ Futures.   Carers Trust have had some great conversations with young/young adult carers. They told them they wanted the day to be about their futures, highlighting the incredible skills they have developed through being a carer – like resilience, time-management and empathy.   These are all important skills, not just for young people moving into higher education – but also for those looking to enter the workplace. What’s more, they are skills highly sought after by employers.   Although the day has come to an end forRead More →

It’s nearly here.   Young Carers Action Day this year takes place on 16th March and the theme is Protecting Young Carers’ Futures.   Carers Trust have had some great conversations with young/young adult carers. They told them they wanted the day to be about their futures, highlighting the incredible skills they have developed through being a carer – like resilience, time-management and empathy.   These are all important skills, not just for young people moving into higher education – but also for those looking to enter the workplace. What’s more, they are skills highly sought after by employers.   We have a full dayRead More →

We are delighted to announce we have been assessed and successfully passed our Bronze Award for Better Health at Work Award. For too long, the North East has had a reputation for being of being an ‘unhealthy’ place to live and work; unfortunately borne out by our fairly shocking life expectancy rate and high long-term sickness and disability figures. To help combat this, a partnership project unique to the North East was created and the Better Health at Work Award was established to take health and wellbeing into the workplace. This partnership has now been taken forward by the Northern TUC, with the support andRead More →

It’s the end of another term of home-schooling and I have to say that on reflection I have made some discoveries that I’d like to share with you all! 1. My 15 year old son is a surprisingly good cook when he’s not glued to his Xbox or his laptop   2. Zoom calls are irrelevant to a 6 year old who wants to live in underpants alone despite it snowing outside   3. Bedrooms can become war zones when the WiFi goes down but kids will find entertainment in things if they have no choice   4. Managers can be surprisingly understanding when youRead More →

A typical carer spends 25 hours a week caring for loved ones. Taking this statistic as a starting point, The PFC Trust has launched a new fundraising initiative for 2021 based around the number 25.  Initially, they are aiming to raise £50,000 to fund a new caravan for Hartlepool Carers, with additional sums being used as part of the Trust’s Covid-19 response. The team have been scratching our heads for a worthy challenge (as you know, Sarah has done some stupid things just by herself!) and have come up with a 25 hour exercise relay challenge. This is where we are looking for carers and our supportersRead More →

So when I did my first blog post I wanted to tell you all about me and my tribe and our life, then we got lockdown and all thoughts were consumed by the current situation. Some days it felt like I’d got nothing done other than keeping everyone fed. Now have finished our second lockdown and we are watching and waiting on the next steps I’ve hit a writers block. So I have decided to do something a little different, and instead of talking to you about the many things that plague our news feeds and our email daily or the intricacies of my life,Read More →

As 2020 comes to a close, our minds turn to the year we are leaving behind and ever hopeful the year in front will be brighter. No other Christmas or New Year has this been ever more true.   2020 has been one of the hardest years for many in living memory, being unable to socialise, get out of the house for a break has been difficult, more so for us carers. Odd statement ‘more so for us carers’ but it’s one for me that has weight. Many people who don’t care for someone doesn’t understand how difficult being a carer can be, or howRead More →

Dear families,   I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the amazing support you have continued to provide throughout 2020. We all know this year has been difficult with the current pandemic and the additional pressures this has placed on carers across Hartlepool.  Moving into 2021 we will continue to work hard to support you and your family, ensuring your views and experiences help shape services moving forward.    In response to the impact of Covid-19 we have launched many new services including our Tech Loan Service, Cycle and Connect Service, Carer Ambassador Programme, Care for a Call to nameRead More →

So, when we received an email from our CEO, Christine, at the beginning of November to tell us we had been chosen as one of the charities to benefit from this year’s Giving Tree, it’s safe safe to say we had no idea just how overwhelming the response would be. Over 174,000 presents bought from up and down the country and even overseas.  Appearances on local and national TV. Contact from businesses large and small wanting to contribute. We are truly blown away by the support our small charity has received from the wonderful public. The first day Roxanne and I entered the warehouse (IRead More →

We are absolutely blown away by the generosity of the Hartlepool community. Since launch, over 13,000 presents have been bought by kind-hearted people from Hartlepool and across the country for children who may otherwise not receive a gift this year. Middleton Grange Shopping Centre and In Studio have come together to make this year’s Giving Tree virtual and we thank both them, and you, for supporting the appeal. This year’s chosen charities are ourselves and Harbour. Any presents we receive will go to our young carers, some of whom are as young as five, and who care for a loved one. Harbour Harbour works withRead More →