Every member of our team plays an important role in supporting unpaid carers across Swindon. This month, we're introducing Tanya, one of our dedicated Carer Support Practitioners, who provides advice, guidance, and a listening ear to carers when they need it most.

Summer can be a wonderful time to enjoy longer days, spend time outdoors, and make the most of the warmer weather. However, high temperatures can also present challenges, particularly for unpaid carers and the people they care for.

Whether you're supporting an older relative, someone with a disability, a long-term health condition, or a young person with additional needs, taking a few simple steps can help everyone stay safe, healthy, and comfortable during hot weather. People aged over 65, young children, pregnant women, and those living with conditions such as heart disease, respiratory conditions or dementia are among those most at risk from the effects of heat.

At Swindon Carers Together, we're proud to have a passionate and dedicated team working behind the scenes to support unpaid carers across Swindon. This month, we're delighted to introduce Debbie, our Operational Lead.

We know that caring for a loved one can be rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding. Finding time to rest, attend appointments, spend time with family and friends, or simply recharge can make a significant difference to your wellbeing.

Although there is support and respite available for unpaid carers through Swindon Carers Together, to help unpaid carers explore respite options, we have compiled information about local and national services that may be able to provide support. 

It’s Carers Week, an annual campaign dedicated to recognising the contribution of unpaid carers and raising awareness of the challenges they face.

To mark the week, Swindon Carers Together is inviting unpaid carers from across Swindon and the surrounding areas to attend one of two important engagement events taking place on Wednesday 10th June at the Leonardo Hotel, Swindon.

As Volunteers’ Week begins, everyone at Swindon Carers Together would like to say a huge thank you to all of our incredible volunteers.

Volunteers are at the heart of what we do. Their kindness, dedication, and generosity make a real difference to unpaid carers across Swindon, helping us provide support, friendship, information, and reassurance to people who care for loved ones every day.

As spring unfolds across Swindon, bringing lighter days, warmer air, and the first hints of colour, the season offers a gentle reminder that renewal is possible for all of us. For carers, who so often put their own needs aside, this time of year can be an invitation to pause, reconnect, and nurture their own wellbeing.

At Swindon Carers Together, we’ve shaped a vibrant programme of activities designed to support carers’ emotional, physical, and social wellbeing throughout this new season.

Across Swindon, thousands of people quietly juggle work with the responsibility of caring for an adult or child with health or social care needs. These unpaid carers, whether they are parent carers, adult carers or young carers, often go unseen, yet they hold families together and strengthen our community every single day.

To help build a fairer future for carers, here are some key steps employers can take to better support unpaid carers in the workplace.

Each year, Young Carers Action Day raises awareness of the incredible children and young people who take on caring responsibilities at home—often balancing school, friendships and daily life with significant levels of responsibility.

This year’s theme, “Fair Futures for Young Carers,” is all about making sure every young carer has the same chances to learn, grow and thrive as their peers.

February Half Term came alive in the best possible way as our young carers filled the week with courage, laughter, and plenty of first‑time experiences. What started with a climbing rope, moved through a locked‑door mystery, and ended on an ice rink became a true celebration of confidence, friendship and fun.

Unpaid carers across the UK, including thousands here in Swindon, are set to receive a welcome increase in financial support from April 2026. These national changes, announced as part of the Government’s annual benefit uprating process, are designed to ease pressures on those who balance caring responsibilities with work and daily life.

This year’s uprating includes increases to Carer’s Allowance, the earnings threshold, and several linked benefits. Together, these adjustments aim to give carers greater stability and flexibility as they continue their vital work within families and communities.

Every carer knows that quiet, unsettling question that creeps in late at night: “What would happen if I suddenly couldn’t be there?” The Emergency Card Scheme exists so that fear never has to become a crisis.

The scheme offers carers much‑needed reassurance that help will be mobilised immediately should an accident, illness, or unexpected situation prevent them from fulfilling their caring role.

Caring for a loved one is a rewarding role, but it often comes with hidden costs. Many carers in Swindon have had to reduce their working hours or give up employment entirely, leading to significant financial difficulty. Combined with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis and rising energy bills, we know that many of you are feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

Caring for a partner, parent, child, sibling, friend or neighbour can be incredibly rewarding, but it often comes with a heavy mix of emotional and practical pressures. That’s why Swindon Carers Together is committed to making sure carers feel recognised, supported, and connected.