Writing for my life: Using poetry as therapy
My son has been addicted to hard drugs for many years. I have always stood by him, with empathy for all those in the same situation. However, I could never have imagined how long
When your caring role changes or ends
Often at Carers Leeds we meet people who have been looking after someone for a large part of their lives. Your caring role may change over time, and sometimes it may come to an end
No drama, please!
Emma, carer, shares her experience of the recent drama workshops at Carers Leeds. "I have just participated in six weeks of drama workshops with a group of carers at Carers Leeds. The workshops were facilitated by
When the person you care for is in hospital
Hospital wards can sometimes seem like busy, confusing or intimidating places and you may feel pressure from the hospital to get the person you care for home as soon as possible. It is important for
Challenge complete!
Our fab carer support worker Kai has completed her Dry January challenge! A huge congratulations to her. She did such a great job and it's brilliant that she shared her journey with us. I'm sure that
Making a drama out of being a carer
In response to the ups and downs of being a carer many of us have said ‘one day I’ll write a book or a play about my life’. Most of us of course will never
Young Carers Awareness Day – #CareForMeToo
Young adult carer Kirsty tells us about life as a young carer and the #CareForMeToo campaign. In my role as a MindMate Ambassador, one particular area of work that I have focused on is the mental
Let’s talk about alcohol
Have you heard of 23andme tests which are trendy at the moment? You spit in a tube and send it away to be examined and it tells you about your ancestry. I got one for
Carer, not care worker.
Carers are crucial both to our communities and to the sustainability of health and social care in Leeds. If Leeds is to be the best city for health and well-being, it needs to be the
Dry January Week 3
This week has brought my biggest expected challenge for Dry January: my friend’s birthday. In my first post I mentioned my friend’s dismay when I announced I was doing this challenge as it meant I
We did it!!!!!
You may remember that our current contract to support unpaid carers in Leeds comes to an end this March. Last year Leeds City Council began an extensive consultation and procurement process and today we found
A recovery curve ball
Week two of Dry January brought my first unexpected trigger: I was nearly in a car accident. It involved a person (there are no adjectives that I am allowed to use here without getting in