Ealing carers offered recognition and practical support

Around 24,000 people in Ealing are officially recorded as carers, but the real number is likely to be higher because many residents who look after a relative, friend or neighbour never use that label for themselves.

That hidden work was the focus of a Carers Week 2026 event at Perceval House on Wednesday 10 June, where unpaid carers, local organisations and council representatives gathered for recognition, advice and support.

The event was organised by Ealing Carers Partnership and the Ealing Carers Hub during the UK-wide Carers Week campaign, which runs from 8 to 14 June this year.

Ealing’s 24,000-carer estimate is only part of the picture

The official figure gives a sense of scale, but it does not capture everyone carrying out unpaid care across the borough. Some people may provide daily help with medication, meals, washing, appointments or finances while seeing it simply as family duty.

Others may support someone with a mental health need, addiction, disability, illness or age-related frailty. Care can be practical, emotional or both, and it often happens alongside paid work, study, parenting or other responsibilities.

That is why Carers Week is framed not only as a celebration, but as an awareness campaign. Its purpose is to make unpaid care more visible and to point people towards help before pressure builds into isolation, exhaustion or financial strain.

The work carers do is often constant and unseen

A carer does not have to live with the person they support. They may be a partner helping at home, an adult child checking in every day, a parent caring for a disabled child, or a neighbour making sure someone can manage safely.

The common thread is that the support is unpaid and the person being cared for could not manage without it. For some carers, the role develops gradually as a loved one’s needs increase. For others, it begins suddenly after illness, injury or diagnosis.

Councillor Paul Driscoll, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives, said carers provide essential support with compassion and dedication, often without recognition. He said the borough wants carers to know their contribution is valued throughout the year, not only during Carers Week.

Perceval House event brought carers and services together

The Perceval House gathering gave carers a chance to meet local organisations and connect with services in one place. For residents who are unsure where to start, that kind of face-to-face contact can be a practical route into advice, assessment and peer support.

The event also linked Ealing’s local work to the wider Carers Week 2026 campaign. Across the country, councils and voluntary groups have used the week to highlight unpaid carers’ rights, local support routes and the pressures that come with long-term caring. Similar support activity has taken place elsewhere, including a free information event for unpaid carers in Derby.

For Ealing, the local focus is clear: identify more carers, reduce the chance that people struggle alone, and make services easier to navigate.

New online help is available through Ealing Carers Hub

A new AI-powered Bridgit Care app has been introduced through the Ealing Carers Hub website. The tool is designed to bring local information, advice and services into one place so carers can more easily find support and connect with networks.

Sadaf, who has cared for a loved one for 13 years, tested the app before its release. She said it was straightforward to use and had made it easier to access local information and support.

Carers in the borough can also seek help through Ealing Carers Partnership and Ealing Carers Hub. These routes are intended for anyone providing unpaid care, including people who are not already known to social care services.

One-off £150 payments can help with practical costs

Ealing carers may be able to request a one-off direct payment of £150. The payment is intended to provide practical support and can be used towards items such as a fridge, washing machine or mobile phone.

It can also go towards health and wellbeing activities, including a holiday or short break. Requests can be made through the carer’s social worker or care coordinator, the cared-for person’s social worker or care coordinator, an authorised carers worker, or Ealing Carers Centre.

Source: Ealing Council