Carers Week Reception

Dementia UK staff and members of Uniting Carers attended the Carers Week Reception at 10 Downing Street hosted by the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

This was a chance for carers and national partners of Carers Week to speak with Cabinet Ministers, MPs, members of the House of Lords and policy-makers. David Upson, Helen Taylor and Joye Manyan from Uniting Carers had the chance to discuss the issues that affect their lives as carers with MPs and policy-makers who rarely get to hear these experiences first-hand.

Pictured right: Back row: Joy Watkins, David Upson, Jean Tottie Front row: Joye Manyan, Helen Taylor and Karen Harrison Dening

David Upson, whose alter-ego is Santa, met the Prime Minister who said to him: "You have the best beard that's ever been in Downing Street"

David shares his impressions of the visit here:

The reception was a great success and enjoyed by all who attended. It gave us the opportunity to network with members and carers from other carers groups and a chance to talk to selected MPs about our concerns and hopes for the services being provided to carers by the government now and in the future.

The speech given by the Prime Minister was to the point and I think from the heart. We can only hope that the ideals and policies that he discussed regarding services and funding are actually put into practice at grass roots level and not watered down on the long journey from Downing Street to the Local Authorities who have to turn these polices into help for carers on a day to day basis.

Personally I think that the government and members of all parties should be aware that cares are watching them in the troubled times ahead to see how they live up to their promises and not to forget that there are millions of us out there and when the next General or Local election happens we have a loud voice. They talk about Grey Power with the pensioner lobby but if all the carers in this country ever take time off from looking after their loved ones to get angry - "Watch Out".

Pictured left: Jean Tottie, Chair of Uniting Carers, cutting the cake with Fiona Phillips

Helen Taylor also attended the reception and writes:

Apart from the pleasure of being inside that beautiful house, I enjoyed being in the company of other carers from different organisations.

I approached Lord Michael Howard and I asked him to use his considerable influence wherever and whenever he could to resist cuts and positively encourage the provision of support for carers and in particular for our mental health . I told him there needs to  be an increase in the number of Admiral Nurses with their specialist Dementia knowledge.

We were introduced to David Cameron and he spoke to individuals in each group and had a photo took with each group. When he came to us we each had the opportunity to speak and my theme was the very real and essential support an Admiral Nurse gives to carers like me. As he was about to leave us i took hold of his arm and reiterated the real benefit of an Admiral Nurse to him - my thinking being that people usually remember the LAST words spoken to them. This appeared to have payed off as in his speech to the whole assembly he did mention ADMIRAL NURSES.

After the reception I sat on the train travelling back to my Geoff feeling greatly satisfied about a job well done and the added pleasure of having met up again with freinds I have a great affection for. So once again THANK YOU.

Watch Helen's interview on ITV Central where she talks about caring for her husband, Geoff, who has dementia.

Watch the Prime Minster's Carers Week speech here (listen out for the mention of Admiral Nurses!)

Click here for more photos from the Carers Week reception

Pictured left: Joy Watkins, Lord Michael Howard, David Upson, Joye Manyan and Karen Harrison Dening