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This newsletter contains the latest news and messages from Coventry City Council and information about local community groups and partners who are offering local support.
In this issue:
As we say goodbye to March we celebrate our amazing Young Carers in the city. Being a young carer is something young people are proud to do, however, it brings additional challenges, providing emotional and practical support day-in, day-out, whilst putting their own lives on hold. The Young Carers Takeover day at Coventry University saw Carer Associations from Coventry and Warwickshire and various regions across the country come together and meet each other at the university to celebrate Young Carers Action Day. It was a great opportunity to showcase student life as a young adult carer at university. The young carers had the opportunity to participate in subject masterclasses delivered by their staff, hear from members of the Student Support Services and Carers Community.
April is just around the corner, flowers are blooming and the days are getting longer and with it, this bulletin brings news about groups in the community, a survey on climate change and new funding to help those struggling with energy bills or heating difficulties.
We have produced a Survey particularly for unpaid carers in our city and we would really appreciate it you could take a few minutes to complete it please. It shouldn't take too long and asks questions regarding who you care for, any health issues you may have, but also it looks at what support you receive and if you know how and where to get support. We really encourage you to take part as the results may help improve services.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Take care.
Are you an unpaid carer?
You could be a carer and not know it!
A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support. Caring for someone can take up a few hours each week, or a carer may be caring for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We would like to understand how your caring responsibility impacts on your daily life, the challenges you face, which services, if any you have accessed, and anything else that you think we should know about, that affects your caring role.
With this in mind, Coventry City Council is undertaking a survey of people who have caring responsibilities for another adult and would very much like to hear your views. Please take a few minutes to complete our online survey which will be running until Friday 5 May 2023.
The information you provide will help us to have a better understanding about the wellbeing of carers and who is being cared for and may be used to improve services.
You can complete the survey online.
For any other inquiries related to carers, you can drop us an email.
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What a March it has been for Young Carers! We started the month with World Book Day and our Young Carers came along to a special activity session where they enjoyed reading a few books together, making some bookmarks and they even got to choose a book to take home with them.
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March also celebrated Young Carers Action Day where some of our older Young Carers had the opportunity to visit Coventry University. Young Carers took part in some amazing masterclasses and saw how University life could work alongside their caring role. The Young Carers Action Day theme was based around making time for Young Carers, and we received so many pledges from lots of young carers, local businesses, Coventry City Council and young carers staff.
Kelly Butler (Young Carers Activity Co-ordinator) said, “The experience has been fantastic for all of our young carers and has given them the opportunity to see how life at University could fit in with their caring role and that they don’t need to curb their aspirations.”
Natalie (Carer, Engagement and Development Officer, Coventry City Council) said “This is an amazing opportunity for young carers to get a sense of what life at university would offer. The taster sessions have provided great experiences and hopefully helped them to see the support on offer to them whilst in this educational setting”.
Our younger young carers also recognised and celebrated Young Carers Action Day by spending some time together, decorating plant pots and planting sunflower seeds. We can’t wait to see how tall they grow!
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We invited our Young Carers and families along to a wonderful Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea event. They got to spend some quality time together while enjoying cake and tea!
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Our cooking sessions are always a firm favourite and this month we made flatbread pizza and discussed the importance of a balanced diet and food hygiene. |
We have joined the world of Podcasting this month! This podcast focusses on the transition process from young carers to our adult wellbeing team. Give it a listen! You can find it on Spotify.
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We are also hosting a Quiz night in April as an opportunity for our Young Adult Carers to meet our wellbeing staff.
Do you have what it takes to become the ultimate quiz champion?
Show off your knowledge, have some fun and get ready for some friendly competition! There WILL be prizes!
It takes place of Friday 14 April 2023 5pm - 7pm at The Penny Collard Centre, CV1 3AY
If you would like to know more contact Kelly on 07428670040 or call 02476 632972 Option 1.
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 Welcome to our April activity calendar. Please discuss with your child which activities they would like to attend and send over your interest to Kelly on 07428 670040, who will confirm a place has been allocated.
Activities for 5 – 10-year-olds:
- 6 April – Easter crafts and egg hunt
- 12 April – Young Carers party
- 13 April – Come along and meet some really cool animals – 2pm – 3pm
- 20 April – Youth Club
- 26 April – Online Session
Activities for 11 – 17-year-olds:
- 3 April – Youth Club
- 14 April – Quiz night
- 17 April – Cook, eat and enjoy
- 24 April – Climbing wall
- 27 April – Online Time for you with Dr Liz Sparkes 6pm
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All the groups that we run are now on Eventbrite and can be accessed by anyone who is registered with us. Please do take a look as we are running different sessions ranging from yoga and relaxation, an Emotional Resilience course and a carers social group to name a few.
We would love to see you.
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Meeting
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Date
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Time
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Where
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Occurrence
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Singing for the Brain
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3 April 2023
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10:30am – 12 noon
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Queen’s Road Baptist Church, Grosvenor Road, CV1 3FE
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1st Monday of the month
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Peer Support for Carers
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5 April 2023
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10:30am – 12 noon
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St Barbara’s Church Hall, 22 Rochester Road, CV5 6AG
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1st Wednesday of the month
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Activity Group
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4, 11, 18, 25 April 2023
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10am – 1pm
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Maymorn Day Care, Everdon Road, CV6 4DT
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Every Tuesday
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Carer and Information Support Programme (CrISP)
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6, 13, 20, 27 April 2023
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10:30am – 1pm
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Queen’s Road Baptist Church, Grosvenor Road, CV1 3FE
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Every Thursday
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Dementia Café
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17 April 2023
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6pm – 8pm
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Queen’s Road Baptist Church, Grosvenor Road, CV1 3FE
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3rd Monday of the month
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Peer Support
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19 April 2023
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11am – 12:30pm
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St Barbara’s Church Hall, 22 Rochester Road, CV5 6AG
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3rd Wednesday of the month
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Please contact 0333 150 3456 to book a place.
For all other enquiries, please email coventry@alzheimers.org.uk
Please note groups do not operate on Bank Holidays.
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Local elections will be taking place on Thursday 4 May. Anybody voting in a polling station at those elections will be required to show an accepted form of photographic ID. To see what ID is acceptable, please visit the Electoral Commission website.
Anyone who does not have an accepted form of ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) on the Government website. The deadline to apply for a VAC is the 25 April.
This year, the Council has made some changes to our polling stations to ensure everyone with a disability can vote with ease and in comfort. Please visit our website to find out more.
Remember! You must be registered to vote in order to have your say in the May Elections. Registering is super easy and only takes five minutes. Visit the Government’s website to register now.
Need help with anything? Contact our Elections Team by emailing them and they’ll be happy to help.
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We want to hear from people who live, work or study in Coventry, we need your views on the city’s draft climate change strategy
The draft strategy sets out the foundations for creating a sustainable zero carbon city.
The strategy supports the delivery of the city’s One Coventry Plan, which includes tackling the causes and consequences of climate change as one of its three key priorities.
Read the draft climate change strategy, give us your views by filling in our survey and find out more about opportunities to get involved in an engagement session on Let’s Talk Coventry.
This is a real chance for you to get involved and have your say on the draft Coventry Climate Change Strategy. Please take a few minutes to complete our online survey which will be running until Wednesday 31 May 2023.
If you’d like any more information or you have any questions, please contact us at climatechange@coventry.gov.uk
If you would like to request a paper copy of the survey or need this information in another format or language then please contact us on 08085 834333.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Kind regards
Let’s Talk Coventry
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Thanks to support from Coventry Building Society, local energy experts Act on Energy has got a new funding pot to help people across Coventry who may be struggling with their energy bills or perhaps need help towards repair, servicing or replacement boilers and heating systems.
The new scheme called Coventry Energy Fund is designed to help those who:
- Live in Coventry
- Have a combined gross household income of less than £30,000 a year
- Have no household savings
- Have someone living with a vulnerability (such as a long term health condition like COPD; pregnancy; disabled and in receipt of DLA or PIP or in receipt of free school meals). There is some discretion to this part of the scheme so it’s well worth checking to see if you qualify.
Applicants will be required to provide evidence of their customer account with their energy or water provider
Local energy advice charity, Act on Energy, is administering the scheme and you can apply online.
You can also call our freephone advice line for more info on 0800 988 2881.
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Do you look after someone who has a physical disability, has a learning disability or autism, has physical health problems and/or has mental health problems?
A carer is anyone who cares, for a friend or relative who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction wouldn’t be able to manage everyday life without your help. The help can be either short-term or long-term. Carers will be of all ages and situations.
How can the hospital help you as a carer?
It is important that the patient’s wishes and privacy are respected at all times. As a carer, you need to be involved in decisions and actions. We use the word ‘patient’ to mean the person being helped within the Hospital environments. When extra help is needed, professional carers such as Hospital staff and nurses may be called in to support.
Carers Trust have developed a Carers Charter poster that will be displayed across UHCW sites, ward areas etc to promote supporting carers and their role whilst their loved one or relative is visiting the hospital and to support staff in facilitating conversations. We would be grateful for your feedback on the messaging of the poster and Charter. Any feedback from the charter will inform the next steps as a Trust. To be sent a full copy of the Carers Charter please email Carers@coventry.gov.uk
To share your thoughts and comments about the charter please complete the online survey.
They would love to hear your views.
If you look after someone with a disability or illness, and spend over 35 hours a week caring them, you may be eligible for Carers Allowance, which could provide you with extra money.
There are strict criteria for this benefit, such as how many hours you care for, your income per week, if you are over 16 years old amongst others. For further information on the eligibility criteria please visit the Carer UK website, who have a factsheet that you can download.
Their factsheet also explains how you can make a claim and how to get further support and information by emailing them.
The Recovery and Wellbeing Academy offer a wide range of free courses to help with overall health, the most relevant for carers are shown here.
Self-Compassion - 17 May 23
Relaxation - 19 May 23
Understanding Dementia - 16 May 23
Coping with caring - 7 June 23
Rise courses on supporting Children
The courses are open to anyone aged 18 or over living in Coventry or Warwickshire. To find out further details regarding times and venue and to book a place please visit their website.
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The Violet Project our offering a regular, virtual support group to those caring for someone who self-harms.
They meet the third Tuesday of every month, online from 7pm - 8:30pm.
For further information regarding the group or their other services please take a look at their website or social media page.
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Mentalk is a weekly group session, designed to bring men together to improve their wellbeing. Delivered by mental health specialists, professional sports coaches and expert activity instructors.
The session takes place on Saturdays at Bluecoat School Sports Hall, Coventry CV1 2BA from 11am - 1pm.
For further information please call 07845 812639 or email George Heaton.
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Mentalk is a weekly group session, designed to bring men together to improve their wellbeing. Delivered by mental health specialists, professional sports coaches and expert activity instructors.
Monday:
Bluecoat School Sports Hall, Coventry CV1 2BA from 6pm - 8pm
Tuesday:
St Nicholas Park, Warwick CV34 4QY from 12noon - 2pm
Thursday:
Moat House Leisure Centre, Coventry CV2 1EA from 12noon - 2pm
Friday:
Jubilee Sports Centre, Nuneaton CV10 7EZ from 12 noon - 2pm
For further information please call 07845 812639 or email George Heaton.
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Sky Blues in the community are offering Dementia Active which is a free weekly social session for men living with memory loss or Dementia and their carers. Their sessions are run in a fun and comfortable environment where you can enjoy a chat and a range of activities, such as play sports, games and physical activities. These sessions aim to help boost energy levels, meet new people and become more active.
The Coventry sessions are held on a Monday 10am - 12noon. For further information call Jack Clemons on 0749 473 4264 or drop him an email.
Healthwatch Coventry is ten years old this year and is holding a photography competition as part of its celebrations. We are asking people to capture the spirit of Coventry in an image to be in with a chance of winning a voucher. There are 3 prizes to be won: First Prize £100 Shopping voucher, Second Prize £70 voucher, Third Prize £40 voucher.
We would like people to take photos in a Coventry location in one of two categories:
- Coventry views or scenes.
- Images involving a number 10.
Anyone in the Coventry area can enter up to three times each. The winner will be the one judged the most interesting and/or creative by the Healthwatch Coventry judging panel that’s really captured Coventry.
The winning photo will appear on the Healthwatch Coventry website and in our annual report as well as on our social media channels. The closing date is 1 June 2023.
Full terms and conditions and details of how to enter can be found on our website.
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Would you like to know more about adult carers and young carers?
If so we have two courses that are available to help increase your knowledge. Both courses are free and you can access them in your own time. Please take a look and we hope you find them helpful:
It’s simple! Just add your email address in the top right hand corner and click GO!
You can also sign up or view previous bulletins from our Carers' website.
If you have any comments or wish to contribute something to the next bulletin, please let us know by contacting us at carers@coventry.gov.uk.
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