Carers Week is a national campaign that happens yearly to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges unpaid carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities. This year, Carers Week took place between 5th and 11th June.
Ceredigion County Council’s Carers and Community Support Team organised a special live music event for unpaid carers on Friday 9 June at Constitution Hill in Aberystwyth to give them an opportunity to enjoy themselves and to have fun.
Over 70 carers and their chosen guests were transported to the venue via the funicular railway. They were greeted with a sparkling glass of non-alcoholic fizz and treated to a fantastic buffet freshly prepared by Y Consti restaurant.
To kick off the evening’s entertainment, a group of local carers, who sing together for fun, invited everyone to join them in singing a selection of songs from around the world. The Hornettes: Take Two band then took to the stage and entertained the crowd with a medley of music spanning the 1960s to the 1980s.
Susan Kidd, Ceredigion Carers Development Officer said: “A fun time really was had by all. Several carers expressed that it was so nice to feel appreciated and that it was lovely to have a carefree evening. One carer was heard exclaiming, ‘my feet hurt!’ from so much dancing. We hope that everyone returned home at the end of the evening feeling like they had a great night out and that they had a break from their caring role.”
Greg Jones, Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Lead Officer for Porth Cymorth Cynnar said: “It was an honour to be invited to Carers Night at Consti, in what was my first week in my new role. You could see the pleasure that the evening brought to so many and why events like this are so important to our unpaid carers, providing a break from their caring role and to those that they care for. It was also lovely to see the carers singing group starting off the entertainment for the evening. Sara and the team did an excellent job in putting together such a wonderful event, and I look forward to attending may more in the future.”
To find out more about the support that is available for unpaid carers in Ceredigion, or to join the Ceredigion Carers Information Service, contact the Carers and Community Support Team at connecting@ceredigion.gov.uk or 01545 574200.
If you are an unpaid carer who enjoys singing and you would like to find how to join the carers singing group, who meet fortnightly in Aberystwyth, contact Iona Sawtell at ionasawtell@yahoo.co.uk.
15/06/2023