Research by the NUS and leading academics suggests that carers face elevated financial hardship, decreased wellbeing and that their support needs are often misunderstood or ignored by their institutions, leading to them being more likely to drop out of College / University than students without caring responsibilities.

At Sheffield Hallam, we value our students and recognise the challenges involved in balancing studies alongside other commitments such as caring for a friend or loved one. The Student Funding and Access Support team are here to listen and support you if you’re in this situation. Find out more on shuspace here.

We’ve teamed up with staff from the Students’ Union, Sheffield Carers’ Centre and Sheffield Young Carers (SYC) to promote Carers Week 2017.

Some people may not consider themselves to be a carer, but rather a partner, family member or friend. Others may not be aware what a carer is. With this in mind, we thought a definition would be useful…

Who is a carer: a carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support.

The duties of a carer: Just as the reasons why someone becomes a carer vary greatly, the variety of tasks that a carer fulfils is also diverse. They can include the following duties

  • Practical household tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing up, ironing, paying bills and financial management.
  • Personal care such as bathing, dressing, lifting, administering medication and collecting prescriptions.
  • Emotional support such as listening, offering advice and friendship.

 

Carers Week, 12-18 June

Carers Week is an annual campaign to raise awareness of caring, highlight the challenges carers face and recognise the contribution they make to families and communities throughout the UK. This year’s focus is on building Carer Friendly Communities. There are many events taking place in Sheffield as part of Carers Week and you can find out more about the national campaign here.

Here at Sheffield Hallam, there will be a ‘Move to the Beat’ dancing and music workshop by Sheffield Young Carers Project in Hallam Square on Tuesday 13 June. This includes a performance by the Carers and Council Choir at 6.15. Feel free to come along to the performance and show your support.

The Sheffield Carers’ Centre newsletter gives information about other events happening in Sheffield for Carers’ Week.

Carers Week 2017 info

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