Terrye Teverson backs unpaid carers locally in National Carers week

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 9th Jun 2008

Leading Liberal Democrat Terrye Teverson has given her backing to

Carers' Week to show support for the thousands of local residents who care for dependent relatives and friends.

Carers Week is a partnership of 10 UK-wide charities (Carers UK,

Counsel and Care; Crossroads Caring for Carers, Help the Hospices,

Independent Age, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Neurological

Alliance, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and WRVS) to promote the

unpaid work done by the six million people in the UK who support and

care for others.

Carers Week starts on 9th June and runs until 15th June.

"I decided to back Carers' Week as I have seen how hard many people

work to support relatives and friends with illnesses or conditions

which make them dependent on others," said Terrye Teverson.

"I had personal experience of the difficulties this can bring when my father was diagnosed with alzheimers disease. It puts huge stress on families trying to cope with dealing with the physical and mental changes in loved ones. Often the carers are themselves elderly and in need of help. This is so often when one partner becomes unable to cope and the other frail partner is left to do everything. There really is not enough support out there."

"One in six people cares in some way for another person. That is a

huge army of people who by their efforts help others to live as normal

a life as possible at home, rather than being dependent on health

services and other groups for support.

"Many carers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and too often, the

contribution they make is not recognised by society generally. By

supporting Carers' Week, I hope to highlight the work carers do and

hopefully raise awareness amongst the general public of their

importance."