Brighton and Hove Celebrates Its 21,000 Unpaid Carers for Carers Week 2026
Support for unpaid carers in Brighton and Hove is available through the Carers Hub, a partnership between The Carers Centre, Crossroads Care and Alzheimer's Society commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council and NHS Sussex. Photo: AI25.Studio via Pexels
Brighton and Hove is celebrating its 21,000 unpaid carers during Carers Week 2026, which runs from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 June
Carers Week 2026 begins on Monday 8 June, and Brighton and Hove City Council is marking the occasion by celebrating the contribution of the city's unpaid carers and highlighting the support available to them across the city.
There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK. In Brighton and Hove alone, at least 21,000 people are providing unpaid support to friends, family members and loved ones who have a disability, a mental health condition, a physical illness or who need extra help with daily life. Many of them do not think of themselves as carers at all.
The theme for Carers Week 2026 is Building Carer Friendly Communities, focusing on the difference that communities can make when they recognise, understand and support the people within them who carry a caring responsibility. Brighton and Hove City Council has made a formal commitment to making the city a Carer Friendly City, recognising that anyone can become a carer at a moment's notice.
What is Carers Week?
Carers Week is an annual national campaign that has taken place every June for over three decades. Its purpose is to raise awareness of what it means to be an unpaid carer, to highlight the challenges carers face and to make sure those who are caring for someone know that support exists.
Unpaid carers provide support that would otherwise fall entirely to the NHS and local authorities. The work they do is often invisible, frequently exhausting and rarely acknowledged in the way it deserves to be. Carers Week exists to change that, and to connect people who may be struggling alone with the services and communities that can help.
The challenges unpaid carers face are wide-ranging. Caring can affect physical and mental health, relationships, career progression, finances and education. Many carers, particularly young carers, are not aware of their rights or of the assessments and support they are entitled to. Research from Carers UK found that 43% of current or former carers have seen a mental or physical health condition develop or become worse since taking on a caring responsibility. Carers Week is an opportunity to change that.
One carer's story
Jenny became a carer when her mum was diagnosed with dementia. Her experience reflects what many carers in Brighton and Hove go through and how the support available in the city can make a real difference.
"I'm an expert on Mum's health but have no time for my own health," she said. "The dementia nurse put me in touch with the Carers Centre and I do rave about it. I make sure that anyone who's a carer knows to access it.
"I attended the Carer Information and Support Programme which was brilliant. I met other carers of people with dementia, both full and part time.
"The course approached dementia both scientifically and visually. It really helped me to see an image of proteins eating a brain and also to have a mental picture of a bookshelf losing little bits in different places.
"There are a huge amount of unpaid carers in Brighton and Hove who aren't thinking they're carers.
"Through The Carers Centre it's been really helpful to find the similarities between cultures about caring. I'd highly recommend anyone who thinks they're a carer in any way, shape or form to contact The Carers Centre."
Brighton and Hove has at least 21,000 unpaid carers providing daily support to family members and friends. Carers Week 2026 runs from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 June. Photo: Ron Lach via Pexels
Support for carers in Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove has a dedicated Carers Hub, commissioned jointly by Brighton and Hove City Council and NHS Sussex, which acts as the central point of contact for unpaid carers of all ages across the city. The hub is delivered through a partnership between The Carers Centre, Crossroads Care and Alzheimer's Society, alongside the council's Adult Social Care Assessment Services.
The Carers Hub provides a wide range of services including information, advice and signposting, carer awareness training for professionals, carer assessments and support, home-based respite care to allow carers time away from their caring role, peer support groups, support for carers of people with dementia, and support for carers who are looking after someone at the end of their life or who have been bereaved.
Two dedicated projects run through the hub. The Young Carers Project provides help and support specifically for young carers and young adult carers aged 16 to 25. The Changes Ahead project supports carers through significant transitions in their caring role.
Anyone in Brighton and Hove who thinks they might be a carer can find information and request a carers assessment at brighton-hove.gov.uk/adult-social-care-hub/support-carers or visit the Carers Hub directly at carershub.co.uk.
How to get support if you are a carer in Brighton and Hove
If you are supporting a family member, friend or partner and are not sure where to start, the most important thing to know is that support exists and you are entitled to it.
A carers assessment is available through Brighton and Hove City Council. It looks at your needs as a carer, the impact caring is having on your life and what support could help. You do not have to be caring full time to qualify. You do not need to live at the same address as the person you care for.
The Carers Centre for Brighton and Hove provides emotional support, advice, peer support groups, workshops and a well-deserved break from caring responsibilities. It works with carers of all ages and backgrounds.
Crossroads Care provides practical support including home-based respite care, giving carers time away from their caring role to attend appointments, rest or simply have time for themselves.
The Alzheimer's Society supports carers of people living with dementia, including through the Carer Information and Support Programme that Jenny describes above.
All of these services are accessible through the Carers Hub at carershub.co.uk or through the council's support for carers page at brighton-hove.gov.uk/adult-social-care-hub/support-carers.
Across Brighton and Hove, at least 21,000 unpaid carers provide daily support to family members and friends living with illness, disability or old age. The Carers Hub offers free support to all carers in the city. Photo: Jsme MILA via Pexels
Carers Week events in Brighton and Hove
Three local events are taking place around Carers Week 2026 in Brighton and Hove. All three are free to attend where stated and are open to carers of all ages and backgrounds.
Sunday 7 June: Rotary Family Festival at Hove Park (11am to 6pm)
The day before Carers Week officially begins, The Carers Centre will be hosting a stand at the Rotary Family Festival and Big Help Out at Hove Park. You can find them at stall number 55 in Zone 1. The event includes live entertainment, community showcases and family-friendly activities throughout the day. It is free to attend and a good opportunity to find out more about the support available in the city before Carers Week gets underway.
Wednesday 10 June: Carers Festival at the Open Market (10am to 5pm)
The Carers Centre will be hosting their annual Carers Festival at the Open Market on London Road in Brighton. The event celebrates the contribution of unpaid carers and gives carers the opportunity to discover support services, connect with local organisations and meet other people in similar situations. The Open Market has been part of Brighton's community since 1926 and is a welcoming, accessible venue right in the heart of the city. The festival is free to attend and open to all.
Thursday 11 June: Carers Clinic at Warmdene Surgery (10.30am to 12.30pm)
The Carers Centre's Primary Care Link Worker will be attending Warmdene Surgery to host a carers clinic where carers and patients can ask questions about caring. This event is limited to patients and carers of patients registered at Warmdene Surgery.
Do you know someone who might be a carer?
One of the most important messages of Carers Week every year is this: many unpaid carers do not know they are one. The shift from helping a family member or friend into a full caring role can happen gradually, and without any formal recognition or support.
If you know someone who regularly looks after a family member or friend who could not manage without that support, they are almost certainly a carer. Pointing them towards the Carers Hub or The Carers Centre could make a significant difference to their life.
Carers Week 2026 runs from Monday 8 to Sunday 14 June. For more information about support for carers in Brighton and Hove, visit carershub.co.uk or brighton-hove.gov.uk/adult-social-care-hub/support-carers. For the latest Brighton and Hove community news, visit ImJustBrighton.
The Open Market on London Road in Brighton, where the Carers Centre will host its annual Carers Festival on Wednesday 10 June 2026 from 10am to 5pm. Video: IrwinByTheSea via YouTube
This article is based on a Brighton and Hove City Council press release issued on 5 June 2026, sent directly to ImJustBrighton via Vuelio.
