Recently, Team After Umbrage had a return visit to the Family Carers’ Hub at Great Shelford, south of Cambridge. This gathering of like minds and people sharing similar circumstances – caring for loved ones – oozes warmth, support and understanding. It’s in great demand and a large number of carers and cared for gather twice a month. Some recalled our first visit in November 2017.
A social gathering with a difference
The carers’ hub in Cambridge -and other locations – provides opportunities to access a range of co-ordinated community based help and support. These include social groups, activities, training and wellbeing support for family carers and the people they care for. Carers can have a short break within the hub knowing their loved one is involved in a safe and meaningful activity.
The hub organisers bring together a range of organisations who are able to offer support to family carers through talks and presentations. Yesterday, was our turn to meet the lovely people and to share our story. It was a complete pleasure to offer free breaks at Kingham Cottage to everyone present. Also, we answered all kinds of questions about logistics.
For some, we offer opportunity
One lady caring for her husband with dementia hopes to visit Kingham Cottage should her granddaughter do well in her A levels to secure her place at Bath University. She would like to take her daughter and the three of them hope to have a holiday as there are two bedrooms – a double and a twin. We look forward to keeping up with that story.
For others, we offer flexibility
Another lady would like to bring her little dog when she visits. It might be some time in the future, but the opportunity is there. She made us all smile when she described the pleasure she’d get from the long, picturesque drive from Cambridge to Bath. You could sense her holiday would start the moment she put her key in the ignition.
Our intention is to reach more carers
From other hubs across the county we have guests booked in who have been introduced to us by the team at the Carers Trust Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Norfolk. They are our eyes and ears and connect us to many of the carers who become our beneficiaries. This support of After Umbrage is crucial to our success and we will be looking to attend similar groups managed by the Alzheimer’s Society, Making Space, Multiple Sclerosis Society and Parkinson’s UK.
Thank you Carers Trust CPN for making us so welcome. We look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Also, we thank The National Lottery Community Fund that provides our funding. It enables us to continue initiatives like this and so much more.
