Local Bath charity the Carers’ Centre celebrated Carers Week 2016 with a joint event in partnership with the Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) and St John’s Hospital Bubble.
The event was a special ‘Pamper Day’ for carers to take the time to think about their well-being, socialise, try a massage or other treatment and enjoy a peaceful atmosphere.
An art project also took place during the day to encourage carers to take part in a creative activity. Attendees painted pebbles to take home as well as contributing to a live-art canvas painting.
The event was part of a larger wellbeing festival jointly developed by the Carers’ Centre, AWP and St John’s Hospital to encourage carers to think about their own physical and emotional health; often carers will put their own needs aside while looking after someone else.
According to the Carers UK 2014 Policy Briefing, carers providing round-the-clock care are more than twice as likely to be in poor health as non-carers.
Complementary health therapists provided carers with ‘taster’ treatments of reflexology, massage, and face yoga.
Anne-Marie (Rose Holistic Treatments), Sarah (Rooted Earth Therapies) and Sophia (Bath Pregnancy & Holistic Massage), from the newly formed Bath Health Heroes local well-being team, worked together to provide the relaxing complementary therapy sessions as part of the line-up of events for the Carers Pamper Day. Three Bath College Health and Beauty students also generously supported the event providing hand massages for everyone.
Anne-Marie said “The ‘Holistic Hut’ situated in the beautiful grounds of the Bath Carers’ Centre, was transformed into a wonderfully relaxing space to perform treatments including massage, seated massage, reflexology and Indian head massage. We met some amazing carers, who all thoroughly enjoyed their treatment sessions, and we all felt privileged to be part of this wonderful event supporting local carers with some much deserved pampering.”
Editor’s Notes
A carer can be a child, young person or adult who provides unpaid help to sick, disabled or elderly family members or friends who needs extra support day to day. Caring can be very isolating, stressful and lonely and many people do not realise help is available.
B&NES Carers’ Centre is an independent carers’ charity and is the leading provider of support, advice and respite for the 20,000 people who are carers in Bath and North East Somerset. The Centre provides a wide range of free support services to carers throughout the area and manages projects to actively seek out “hidden carers” to access help, support and services. The Carers’ Centre is a network partner of Carers Trust.