Unpaid carers can get free advice at a Weymouth wellbeing fair on 18 November and a Wimborne event on 19 November. Swanage, West Parley and online sessions follow.
Free events for unpaid carers are running in Weymouth, Wimborne and Swanage next week for Carers Rights Day, which falls on Thursday 19 November.
The biggest are drop-in fairs with around 30 stalls each. Weymouth’s is on Wednesday 18 November and is being held for the first time. Wimborne’s is on the day itself. Dorset Council is urging carers to go along and find out what help they are entitled to.
This year’s national theme, set by the charity Carers UK, is helping people who look after family, friends or neighbours recognise that they are carers, and know their rights.
The events in Dorset
The dates and venues below are from the event calendar published by Our Dorset, the county’s NHS and council partnership. All are free.
| When | What and where |
|---|---|
| Wed 18 November, 10am to 2pm | Wellbeing Fair, Weymouth. Weymouth Outdoor Education Centre, Knightsdale Road, DT4 0HS. Around 30 stalls, practical advice and free blood pressure checks. |
| Thu 19 November, 9am to 12.30pm | Information and Support Event, Wimborne, run by Prama. The Allendale Centre, BH21 1AS. 30 stands and refreshments, with a room for the person you care for. Drop in, no need to book. |
| Thu 19 November, 10.30am to 12.30pm | Carers coffee morning, Swanage, at the Focus Centre, run with the Swanage and Purbeck Development Trust. |
| Thu 19 November, noon to 1pm | Online: your rights as a carer, an interactive webinar run by Bridgit Care. |
| Thu 19 November, 6pm to 6.45pm | Online: support for working carers, on Carer’s Leave and rights at work, run by Forward Carers. |
| Mon 23 November, 2pm to 3.30pm | Tea and chat for carers, West Parley, at Parley Place Care Home, with the Crane Valley social prescribing team. Carers can bring the person they care for. |
| Tue 24 November, 1.30pm or 6.30pm | Online: Carer’s Card sessions, on the carer ID card, run by Forward Carers. |
The Weymouth fair is run by Weymouth and Portland Primary Care Network and Two Harbours Healthcare, with the Help & Care Dorset Carer Service, the council said.
The calendar also lists events in Bournemouth and Poole, in the BCP Council area. Booking links for the online sessions are on the Our Dorset Carers Rights Day page.
What it means for you
If you look after someone, Our Dorset lists seven rights worth knowing. You can:
- ask your GP practice to record you as a carer
- be consulted when the person you care for is discharged from hospital
- be protected against discrimination or harassment
- ask for a carer’s assessment
- ask for a free flu jab
- ask for flexible working
- take unpaid Carer’s Leave from work
In the Dorset Council area, the Help & Care Dorset Carers Service offers free advice, training, local groups and a carers ID and discount card. Bridgit, an online support tool, is open around the clock.
Cllr Steve Robinson, the council’s cabinet member for adult social care and health, said: “I would encourage anyone who provides unpaid care, no matter how much or how little, to visit an event and find out more about the services and advice available across Dorset.”
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