Greater Manchester charity ‘Gaddum’ has been hosting virtual coffee mornings for carers in Salford in light of the ongoing pandemic.
Tom Fisher, Gaddum Carers Programme Manager for Salford said, “Since March, due to COVID-19-, we’ve been working remotely, we’ve done a few face-to-face visits following strict COVID-19 protocols when virtual communication hasn’t been possible.
He said: “we wanted to have space for Salford carers to socialise … the best way to do this was to have virtual coffee mornings, which carers were keen to do.”
The coffee mornings are held on the first Tuesday of every month: “Usually, about 10 carers attend but that is steadily increasing each month. It’s a more informal environment, it gives carers some respite and a space to talk” he continued.
One carer commented: “‘I really enjoyed passing an hour joining in with the coffee morning and chatting to people in the same boat.
“Any nerves were easily dismissed through engaging in meditation and yoga exercises. The other carers shared their experience of their caring roles.'”
The next coffee morning will be taking place this Tuesday, on the 1st of December.
Last week, Gaddum celebrated National Carers Rights Day.
This year’s theme is ‘Know Your Rights’. The charity launched a new series of information resources on a different subject everyday of the week for carers to read. You can catch up on that here.
Mr. Fisher additionally commented, “It’s incredibly important to have a day that recognises this. We would normally have face-to-face events but this year is a bit different.
He continued, saying: “I‘d encourage everyone to read the information we posted last week. It’s been different working remotely, but we still make sure carers feel supported and up-to-date, whether that’s online, over the phone or through video calls.
It has been a busy couple of weeks for Gaddum, as they were awarded the contract for delivering carers support services by Salford City Council.
On the programme, he said: “it’s an exciting programme of delivery for the next 5 years, meaning we can continue doing the work we’ve been doing for the past 20 years but develop some really innovative elements to reach every person who needs us across Salford.
“This contract means we can focus on things like a new delivery service to care for people and we can reach carers in every neighbourhood.”
Gaddum encourages all Salford carers of any age to get in contact if they need some support or just want someone to talk to. The number to call is 0161 834 6069.
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