Who are we?
* We are a small charity dedicated to supporting unpaid carers
* We support carers living within Blackburn with Darwen
* We were founded by a group of local carers

What is a Carer?
A carer is someone who, without payment provides help and support to a partner, child, relative, friend or neighbour who could not manage without their help.

There are almost 6 million carers in the UK with an estimated 13 million people expected to become carers in the next decade.

They range from 9-90 years of age. A poll commissioned by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers indicated that the average age of a carer is 12. Many young carers are in some way restricted because of their caring duties and many miss days off school to care for someone.

Taking on a caring role can mean facing a life of poverty, isolation, frustration, ill health and depression. Many carers give up an income, future employment prospects and pension rights to become a carer. Many carers also work and are trying to juggle jobs alongside their responsibilities as a carer.

Who do we Support?
We support carers of:
* Older people
* People of working age
* People from a BME background
* People with learning disabilities
* People with mental health issues
* Children & young people with disabilities
* People with physical disabilities
* People who have a substance abuse problem
* Young carers

This is not a complete list and if you do not fall into any of the categories we may still be able to offer you help.

Why Contact the Carers Service?
* We can act as an independent mediation service between carers and other agencies
* We have a good understanding of carers rights and issues
* We can offer short or long term support

You can download our carers leaflet, just click the icon below to begin downloading.