On Tuesday 13 October 2026, I facilitated a carers’ poetry session at Ignition Brewery in Lewisham, supported by Imago. We explored our surroundings, shared thoughts about poetry, and used drawings to express feelings through words. What mattered to me was giving carers space to create and hear one another.
I began by sharing how writing became part of my own caring journey. As a former carer for my mother, who lived with schizophrenia, and an ongoing carer for my two non-verbal autistic brothers, I know how difficult it can be to explain what caring involves. Writing books helped me raise awareness, while poetry gave me another way to communicate experiences and emotions in a few lines.
For World Mental Health Day 2026, I have created a short campaign video reflecting on this year’s theme: “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.”
As someone who cared for my mother, who lived with schizophrenia, this message means a great deal to me. People living with mental ill health deserve to shape the care they receive. Alongside them, unpaid carers also bring experiences and knowledge that services need to hear.
Caring can involve supporting someone through appointments, noticing changes in their wellbeing, or helping them settle at home after hospital. It can also mean uncertainty, sleepless nights and struggling to find someone who will listen.
Yet how often does someone ask the carer, “How are you coping?”
In my video, I highlight the importance of supporting carers’ own mental health and hearing from Black and minority ethnic carers, whose experiences of racism, stigma and exclusion need recognition and action.
I also discuss the Triangle of Care, which strengthens the partnership between the person receiving care, their carer and mental health professionals. That partnership must respect the person’s wishes, privacy and dignity while recognising the carer’s contribution and support needs.
World Mental Health Day brings global attention to these issues through the World Federation for Mental Health and the World Health Organization. Organisations including the Mental Health Foundation, Rethink Mental Illness, Carers UK and Carers Trust also provide valuable information, advocacy and support.
My message is simple: listening should lead to meaningful involvement and visible change.
If you are an unpaid mental health carer, your experience matters. You deserve care too.
Watch my short video and please share it to help unpaid carers feel seen and heard.
By Matthew McKenzie, Carer poet and author supporting caring communities
On Thursday 8 October 2026, I returned to Ealing Central Library to lead a poetry workshop for unpaid carers with Ealing Carers Partnership. We explored the library, wrote poems and experimented with performance, making time for conversation and laughter along the way.
As a carer myself, I know how easily our own interests can slip into the background. This session gave participants space to express themselves and hear one another, without needing previous poetry experience.
Matthew McKenzie — Carers UK ambassador, author and poet
October is a time to celebrate Black history, culture and achievements, and to reflect on the people whose contributions have shaped Britain. As an unpaid carer and carer activist, I also see Black History Month as an opportunity to recognise the care taking place within our families and communities.
My new video, “Black History Month 2026: Honouring Our Communities and Unpaid Carers,” explores these connections, from celebrating Black British achievements to recognising carers whose work often receives little attention.
Recognising the care within our communities
Althouth History is shaped by more than famous names. It is also shaped by people who support relatives, neighbours and friends through illness, disability, mental health difficulties and older age.
By Matthew McKenzie, Cygnet PCREF Carer Lead and Carer Ambassador
On 1 October 2026, I attended Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) Community Event at St Thomas Centre in Manchester.
I attended in my role as Cygnet’s PCREF Carer Lead and Carer Ambassador, sharing Cygnet carer information alongside wider resources on the Triangle of Care and carer voices. I wanted to build relationships, learn from the discussions and keep the experiences of unpaid carers visible within conversations about racial inequality in mental health care, although at times i will support events as Triangle of Care ambassador.
September is widely recognised as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, with World Suicide Prevention Day taking place on 10 September.
Organised internationally by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and supported by the World Health Organization, the 2026 theme is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” with the call to action “Start the Conversation.”
Organisations such as Samaritans, PAPYRUS, Mind, Rethink Mental Illness and members of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance also work to raise awareness, challenge stigma and improve suicide prevention across the UK.
For this year’s campaign, I have produced a new awareness vlog focusing not only on people experiencing suicidal thoughts, but also on the unpaid mental health carers supporting them.
Relatives, partners and friends may spend long periods watching for warning signs, attending appointments and responding to crises. They can carry an enormous level of fear and responsibility, yet their own emotional needs are frequently overlooked.
Carers should never be expected to manage suicide risk alone. Professionals must listen to their concerns, involve them appropriately and ensure they can access support themselves.
In my new vlog, I discuss how we can challenge stigma, start compassionate conversations, listen without judgement and remember to check in with the person providing care as well as the person in crisis.
If you or someone you know needs urgent mental health support in England, call NHS 111 and select the mental health option. Samaritans can be contacted free, day or night, on 116 123. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.
Together, we can move from silence to conversation, from stigma to compassion, and from carers coping alone to communities sharing responsibility.
By Matthew McKenzie – Cygnet PCREF Carer Lead & Carer Ambassador
Cygnet PCREF Carer Lead & Carer Ambassador
On 4 August 2026, unpaid carers, professionals and people with lived experience came together at Cygnet Churchill for the second Voices & Verses Carers Poetry Event. The purpose of the afternoon was not simply to read poetry, but to create a safe space where carers could express experiences that are often overlooked within mental health services.
The event formed part of Cygnet’s ongoing commitment to the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework (PCREF) by exploring how creativity, culture and storytelling can strengthen co-production and improve relationships between carers and services.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month 2026 over in the states, with this year’s theme, “More Good Days, Together”, encouraging communities to support mental well-being.
Unpaid carers and family caregivers often face unique challenges, and organizations like Mental Health America, National Alliance for Caregiving, Family Caregiver Alliance, AARP, and the American Association of Caregiving Youth provide valuable resources and guidance.
This month is a reminder that small acts of support and self-care can make a big difference in creating more good days for everyone.
Today is Young Carers Action Day, a time to recognise the incredible strength and resilience of young people who care for others.
As someone who cared for my brother who has autism while growing up, I understand how caring can shape a young person’s life. It can build compassion and responsibility, but it can also bring challenges that many people don’t see especially when it comes to balancing school, friendships, and your own mental wellbeing.
To see my video promoting Young Carers Action day 2026, please view below.
This year’s theme, Fair Futures for Young Carers, is an important reminder that young carers deserve the same opportunities as everyone else to learn, to thrive, and to look after their own wellbeing too.
Young carers should never feel invisible. They deserve recognition, understanding, and the right support in their schools, communities, and workplaces.
Today as of this blog and video, I encourage everyone to take a moment to learn about young carers, listen to their stories, and help create a future where every young carer feels seen, supported, and valued.
Young carers across the UK continue to receive growing recognition and support from organisations, communities and government. For example, Carers Trust leads Young Carers Action Day, encouraging schools, employers and communities to ensure young carers have fair opportunities. Local authorities such as Royal Borough of Greenwich have also highlighted their commitment to supporting young carers through local services and awareness campaigns. Media outlets like BBC Newsround have helped raise awareness among young audiences by sharing stories about the experiences of young carers. In addition, initiatives such as Going Forward into Employment (GFIE) highlight wider efforts to create opportunities for carers and under-represented groups.
It is also important that support reaches ethnic minority carers, who can sometimes face additional barriers such as cultural stigma, language barriers, or limited access to services. Organisations such as Carers UK and community groups working with Black, Asian and minority ethnic carers continue to call for more inclusive and culturally sensitive support.
On 25th February 2026, I had the privilege of speaking at the Carers’ Forum hosted by Involve Kent.
Involve is a voluntary sector infrastructure organisation in Kent that supports unpaid carers by providing information, advice and practical help to make caring more manageable.
They organise regular carers’ forums and events where carers can meet each other, access specialist support services, hear from guest speakers on issues like benefits, legal rights and wellbeing, and contribute their lived experience to local planning and decision-making. Involve also connects carers with tailored resources, signposts to relevant services across health, social care and community sectors, and advocates for carers’ voices to be heard by policymakers and service providers
The forum ran from 10:30am to 1:30pm and brought together unpaid carers from across Kent to connect, learn and have their voices heard.
It was my second time speaking at this forum, and once again I was struck by something powerful: the room was full. That might sound simple, but in the world of unpaid caring which can often feel isolating and invisible a full room means solidarity. It means people are choosing, despite exhaustion and competing demands, to show up for themselves and each other.
Arriving and the atmosphere
From the moment I walked in, there was a real sense of warmth. Information stands lined the hall Involve, Citizens Advice, mental health services, energy advice, leisure services and more. Tables were covered in leaflets, conversations were already flowing, and carers were reconnecting with familiar faces.
The purpose of the forum was clear:
To enable those caring unpaid for an adult family member, partner or friend to meet, gain information about services in their community and have their voices heard .
That last part to have their voices heard is what resonated most with me.
It was also good to see Carer leads from Cygnet Maidstone engaging with carers in the community of Kent.
My talk: Caring for someone with a mental health diagnosis
I spoke about caring for someone with a mental health diagnosis and the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework .
As many know, I cared for my mother who lived with schizophrenia, and I now support a close friend who lives with personality disorder and addiction challenges. I don’t speak as a clinician. I spoke as someone who has sat in GP waiting rooms, on inpatient wards, in crisis meetings, and at home during those “screaming silences” that carers know too well.
I shared:
The confusion I felt when I didn’t even realise I was a “carer”
The frustration of confidentiality barriers
The loneliness of not being listened to
The emotional exhaustion that comes from constantly firefighting crises
I then shared a poem to promote carers rights
But I also shared something equally important: growth, advocacy and solidarity.
I encouraged carers to:
Educate themselves about the condition they are supporting
Learn the difference between symptoms and personality
Understand triggers
Forgive themselves for mistakes
And most importantly, look after their own wellbeing
One message I always return to was – You cannot pour from an empty cup.
I also spoke about The Patient Carer Race Equality Framework
It exists because there is clear evidence of:
Disproportionate detentions under the Mental Health Act
Poorer outcomes for Black and minority ethnic patients
Higher levels of distrust between communities and services
Carers feeling unheard or excluded
I spoke about how minority carers can face:
Cultural misunderstandings
Language barriers
Stigma around mental health within communities
Fear of services due to past discrimination
A lack of culturally appropriate support
Discussion tables: Carers influencing change
After my talk, Clara from Involve led discussions feeding into Kent’s Health Needs Assessment for carers. Carers were asked:
How do you recognise when it’s time to ask for help?
What causes burnout?
What would a carer-friendly community look like?
These wete not token questions. Staff took notes (without identifying details) so carers’ lived experiences could directly inform local planning .
I moved around the room speaking with carers. Some were open and vocal. Others were quieter, but their listening was just as powerful. Not everyone wants to speak publicly and that’s okay. Being present is also participation too.
Power of Attorney – protecting your voice
Later in the morning, Glen Miles spoke about the Mental Capacity Act and Lasting Power of Attorney .
As carers, we often assume we will automatically be consulted in crises. The reality is different. Without legal authority, our ability to advocate can be limited.
One key takeaway:
Don’t delay in arranging Lasting Powers of Attorney.
If you want your voice – or your loved one’s voice – to be heard, formalise it.
For carers who have experienced being excluded from decisions, this was a particularly important session.
Citizens Advice & practical support
Ian from Citizens Advice spoke before lunch about benefits, debt, housing and confidential support .
With the cost of living crisis, carers are under immense financial pressure. Many reduce employment hours or leave work entirely. The session was a reminder that:
Advice is free
It is confidential
You can attend anonymously
You are not judged
Lunch followed – catered by Fusion – and honestly, some of the most meaningful conversations happen over sandwiches. Carers swapping stories. Sharing phone numbers. Recommending services. That peer-to-peer support is priceless.
What stayed with me
What stayed with me most wasn’t just the agenda or the presentations.
It was:
The older carer quietly nodding as I spoke about emotional exhaustion.
The new carer asking, “Is it normal to feel this angry sometimes?”
The male carers who stayed behind to speak to me privately.
The carers from minority backgrounds who spoke about cultural barriers and stigma.
These forums matter because carers matter.
Unpaid carers save the system billions. But beyond economics, we hold families together. We absorb crises. We advocate in rooms where we’re not always welcomed.
