The first ever Carers Active Together will take place throughout the UK on Wednesday 15 April.
For the Carers Active programme, led by Carers UK and funded by Sport England, unpaid carers, local employers, charities, sports clubs, leisure centres and community groups are urged to mark the date in their diaries, find out more and commit to joining in by planning an activity or event. Clocking-up their activity together will contribute to the grand total of physical activity hours for carers and Carers UK will also offer an online activity session on the day.
Unpaid carers are encouraged to explore any activity taking place in their area- in person- or online or share what they will do themselves on the day.
Employers and organisations are being called on to arrange an inclusive physical activity on 15 April and invite unpaid carers in their community to take part.
Many unpaid carers caring for a family member, friend or neighbour who is ill, older or disabled find it harder to be physically active than those who don’t have caring responsibilities, because of a lack of breaks, time and opportunities due to the demands on them.
Carers who are physically active, no matter how much they do, say that it significantly improves their health and wellbeing, that it helps them feel more positive in daily life, and boosts self-esteem and confidence. Being active and doing some form of exercise, particularly with others, can help reduce stress, feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Carers Active, supported by Sport England, is a programme that aims to improve the physical and mental health of unpaid carers through activity, tackling many of these issues.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK said:
“There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK. Three quarters (76%) of carers over 55 in England alone do not feel they are able to do as much physical exercise as they would like. 88% say they don’t have the time, yet the health benefits of doing something can be significant.
“We are working with Sport England to change this and want to make it easier for more unpaid carers to get active. Carers Active Together will be a fun and motivating day that unpaid carers can mark in the diary for spring. It’s a chance for carers to make some time for themselves, think about what they can do to get physically active in a way they choose, and at the same time, feel part of a UK -wide community and mass event on 15 April.”
Hannah McDonald, National Partnerships Lead (Health and Wellbeing) at Sport England, said:
“Helping carers to get active is fundamentally aligned with our Uniting the Movement strategy, which is focused on tackling inequalities in access to physical activity.
“We’re proud to support Carers Active Together, creating more inclusive opportunities for carers to move in a way that works for them and feel the mental and physical benefits of being active.”
Find out more here