2Y2DXSn3j

The Other Side Of Caring
An An independent charity helping
unpaid great Carers in Gloucestershire
unpaid Carers in Gloucestershire
As we sat in a local café Maureen, a Moreton resident,
told me something of her story. For a few years she had
travelled weekly to stay with her Mum who began to develop
Dementia, along with other medical conditions making life
difficult. Eventually, in order to provide necessary specialist
support, her Mum moved into a care home before she passed
away.
Her Mums death was hard – Maureen lost not only a Mother
but confidante, friend and inspiration. Maureen’s’ life had been
shaped around her Mum’s needs, even to the loss of job
opportunities, so grief was compounded by having to rediscover
and rebuild her life to regain some equilibrium and sense of
purpose.
Maureen has reached out to make links with the Community
but as she says, it’s not that you want to be labelled as a
‘former-Carer’ but some mutual support and encouragement
from others who know what it’s like to be in that situation can
go a long way to assist in reclaiming your life. Others who can
listen with understanding, even though their actual
circumstances may be very different, makes a real difference.
We are keen to organise get-togethers in Moreton for any such
‘former’ Carers living in the North Cotswolds. Similar groups in
other parts of the County enjoy one another’s company with
plenty of time for laughter, ‘general’ chat and socialising; but
they do allow for people to talk about how they’re doing, and
share coping strategies and ideas that have proved useful in
taking life forward. If you’re interested please contact:
Roger Hare 01452 872241 or
rhare@carersgloucestershire.org.uk
Sunday 7th June
Pittville Park - Cheltenham
‘Walk a mile in my shoes’
Every day, 22 people in Gloucestershire become Carers, taking on
the huge, unpaid responsibility of looking after someone who
needs them. Last year they saved the local economy an incredible
£580 million. With your help we can continue to support Carers
facing a life that will never be the same again.
Simply swap shoes…
with a friend or family member
and walk together around
Pittville Park on the big
day to raise money for
Gloucestershire’s
unpaid Carers.
Register Online – www.carersgloucestershire.org.uk
Northleach Sheep & Wool Day
4 th May at
The Old
Prison, a truly
great
family
day out
Nick Turner
Photography
Cotswold Friends
Volunteer Open Day
Thursday 4 June
If you have a free hour a week available and you would
enjoy befriending a lonely neighbour, please contact us!
We are currently looking for volunteer befrienders,
drivers, IT mentors and helpers at our lunch and social
events – just an hour a month can make a difference.
People volunteer for a number of reasons. It can be a
great way of getting work experience, to gain employment
or get into a university. For some volunteers it’s a
way of putting something back into their local
community and meeting new people. If you have skills
and experience that could be used to help support some
of the more vulnerable people living in your village or
town come along to our open day for coffee, cake and a
chat. There is no personal care involved, we offer full
training and support and any out of pocket expenses.
Our Volunteer Open Day - Thursday 4 June 10 – 3pm at
The Library, Stow Road, Moreton-in-Marsh. If you can’t
make the day, call us on 01608 651415 or look at our
website www.cotswoldfriends.org
52