Monthly Archives: June 2026

Carers Week 2026: Building Carer Friendly Communities and Supporting Unpaid Carers Across the UK

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer Ambassador

For Carers Week 2026, it takes place from 8–14 June and shines a spotlight on the millions of unpaid carers who provide essential care and support to family members, friends and loved ones throughout the UK.

This year’s theme, Building Carer Friendly Communities, highlights the need for workplaces, healthcare services, schools, local authorities and communities to better recognise and support unpaid carers.

Despite contributing billions of pounds worth of care each year, many unpaid carers continue to face challenges including financial hardship, social isolation, poor mental health and difficulties accessing support. So Carers Week aims to raise awareness of these issues while encouraging practical action to create a society where carers are valued, respected and included.

As a carer activist and founder of my site A Caring Mind, I am sure that creating carer-friendly communities starts with understanding the realities of caring. Whether you are caring for an ageing parent, a disabled child, a partner with a long-term condition or someone experiencing mental ill health, carers play a vital role in keeping families and communities together.

However, there are still many people do not identify themselves as carers and therefore miss out on important support, benefits and services. Carers Week 2026 provides an opportunity for individuals, organisations and policymakers to listen to carers’ experiences, champion carers’ rights and improve access to support for unpaid carers across the UK.

Watch my Carers Week 2026 video below to learn more about the campaign, this year’s theme and how you can get involved in supporting unpaid carers. Please share the video to help raise awareness and encourage more people to recognise the invaluable contribution that carers make every single day.

Together, we can build stronger, more inclusive and more carer-friendly communities

Volunteers’ Week 2026 UK – The Power of Volunteering and Caring

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer UK ambassador and volunteer

As proud volunteer with Carers UK and Carers Trust, and alongside healthcare teams in hospitals supporting unpaid carers and families. I want to take a moment to recognise the incredible contribution volunteers make every single day.

As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week 2026, across our communities, volunteers give their time, skills, compassion, and energy to help others, often without seeking recognition. Their impact is immeasurable.

For me, volunteering is about making a difference, no matter how small. Sometimes it is providing information and advice to a carer who feels overwhelmed. Sometimes it is speaking up for those whose voices are not being heard. Sometimes it is simply listening. These acts of kindness can change lives.

As carers, many of us already give so much of ourselves to support loved ones. Yet volunteering can also be a powerful way to create change, build connections, and strengthen our communities. It reminds us that we are not alone and that together we can make a positive impact.

Advancing Race Equity Across London’s Mental Health Trusts

On Wednesday 3 June 2026, colleagues from all eight London Mental Health Trusts, alongside carers, service users, community organisations, researchers, regulators and system leaders, gathered at ISH Venues in central London for the Pan London Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) Conference.

Chaired by Erica deti from North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT), the conference provided a unique opportunity to showcase progress, share learning and strengthen London’s collective commitment to race equity within mental health services.

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Speaking on BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave: Caring, Community and Hope

By Matthew McKenzie – Carer advocate

I recently had the privilege of appearing on BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave to discuss my experiences as a Black mental health carer and long-standing volunteer at Carers UK, plus my groups supporting unpaid mental health carers.

My long standaing friend and carer peer Jo Lambert who specialises in hope and mental health accompanied me to the BBC studios

The programme focused on the realities of caring, the challenges many families face, and the importance of community support.

As someone who has supported family members with severe mental health needs and autism, I spoke about how I never initially saw myself as a carer. Like many people, I simply did what I felt was my duty as a son and brother. It was only later that I learned about the term “unpaid carer” and the support available through carers organisations and local carers centres.

During the discussion, I reflected on some of the challenges faced by Black carers, particularly Black male carers, who may feel pressure to remain strong and avoid speaking openly about their own mental health struggles. I shared how peer support groups, creativity and poetry helped me manage difficult emotions and find hope during challenging times.

I also spoke about the importance of identifying as a carer and seeking support early. Many people provide care out of love and responsibility without realising that help is available. Through my volunteering with Carers UK and work within hospitals and community settings, I continue to encourage carers to access support, connect with others and recognise that looking after themselves is just as important as caring for others.

I also read a poem from one of my books “Telling your story as a mental health carer”, you can view the poem below.

One of the strongest messages from the programme was that caring is about community. Whether through carers centres, voluntary organisations, healthcare services or local networks, nobody should have to face caring responsibilities alone.

I would like to thank Richie Brave and the BBC Radio 1Xtra team for creating space for these important conversations and for highlighting the voices and experiences of unpaid carers.

You can listen to the programme here:

BBC Radio 1Xtra Talks with Richie Brave – Caring Matters

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002wtcr?