Community, Cake and Creativity - Carers Week 2026

Monday 15th June

Community, Cake and Creativity: Carers Week 2026

York Carers Centre spent Carers Week 2026 raising awareness of unpaid carers and celebrating the invaluable contribution they make to families and communities across the city.

From Monday 8 June to Sunday 14 June, staff, volunteers, carers and local residents came together to support this year’s national theme, “Building Carer Friendly Communities.” The week highlighted the importance of creating places, services and networks where unpaid carers are recognised, understood, valued and supported.

We held a range of activities across the city, including information and fundraising stalls in Bishopthorpe, Acomb, Monks Cross and Haxby. We also held stalls in St Leonard’s Hospice and Foss Park.

Many thanks to Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust for their donations towards carers’ treat bags and the delicious bakes provided at Huntington House.

four people holding a sign that says building carer friendly communities sitting on a pink blow up sofa

Alongside our roadshows, our regular groups held the spirit of the week’s theme of community. Our Substance Misuse & Gambling Carer Support Group, Carers Mental Health Group, Carers Connect focused on how our communities can better support carers while celebrating the positive impact carers have locally.

Young Carers and Young Adult Carers held a special Art of Protest workshop, where they were given time and space to express themselves creatively using spray paint and stencils. Their fantastic pieces will go on to inspire an upcoming mural at the youth club.

A man with a beard and a woman in a wheelchair holding artwork made with spray paint — Young Carers and Young Adult Carers at the Art of Protest Workshop

We want to say a special thank you to all our Volunteers, Carer Champions, the York Carers Centre team, and those who helped with the stalls by baking cakes, chatting with the community and hosting our meetings and talks.

We would also like to thank everyone who has made a donation this week. Your generosity will make a real difference to the lives of unpaid carers in York by providing the support, respite and recognition they deserve.

Support York Carers Centre Today

Building Carer Friendly Communities: a blueprint

Carers Week launched ‘Building Carer Friendly Communities: a blueprint’. The blueprint sets out a shared vision for creating communities where unpaid carers are recognised, understood and supported in every aspect of daily life.

Developed by Carers UK alongside Carers Week supporter charities, the blueprint highlights the vital contribution unpaid carers make to families, communities, health and social care systems, while also recognising the challenges many carers face, including isolation, financial pressures, poor health and difficulties balancing caring with work or education. The blueprint provides practical guidance, principles and examples of good practice to help organisations, employers, health and social care services, education providers, businesses, voluntary organisations and local communities take meaningful action to become more carer friendly.

The blueprint focuses on improving the visibility of carers, ensuring carers have a voice in shaping services, creating flexible and inclusive systems, addressing inequalities experienced by carers, and strengthening partnership working across sectors. Ultimately, the blueprint is a call for collective action across the UK to build communities where every carer feels recognised, valued and supported.

Read the Blueprint