Building Carer Friendly Communities: Celebrating Unpaid Carers and Young Carers During Carers Week 2026 

Carers are at the heart of our communities

Every day, millions of unpaid carers and young carers provide essential support to family members, friends and neighbours. They help with personal care, medication, appointments, household tasks, emotional support and countless other responsibilities, often alongside work, education and their own health and wellbeing. 

Carers play a vital role. Their compassion, dedication and resilience make an enormous difference every day. They help people live independently, maintain their dignity and stay connected to the people and places they love. Without their contribution, families, communities and public services would face significant challenges. 

That is why Carers Week 2026 is such an important opportunity to shine a spotlight on unpaid carers and young carers across the UK. It is a chance to recognise their contribution, raise awareness of the challenges they face and thank them for everything they do. 

The theme for Carers Week 2026 and 2027 is Building Carer Friendly Communities. Through this theme, Carers UK highlights the positive impact communities can have when they recognise carers, understand their needs and take action to support them. 

Building carer-friendly communities means creating places where caring is recognised and valued. It means schools, employers, healthcare providers, voluntary organisations, local authorities, neighbours and friends recognising carers and understanding how they can help. 

On 8 June, Carers UK launched its report, Building Carer Friendly Communities – A Blueprint. The report sets out a vision for strengthening support across the UK and calls on organisations, employers, community groups and individuals to work together so caring is recognised and supported. 

Young carers deserve particular recognition

Across the country, children and young people provide care for parents, siblings and relatives while balancing education and social lives 

Alongside Carers Week, action is being taken across government to improve recognition and support for unpaid carers and young carers. The Government has committed to publishing a cross-government Action Plan built around three themes: Recognise, Refer and Reach. The plan aims to increase the recognition of carers, enable access to support which promotes greater choice and control and ensure carers have opportunities to reach their full potential. 

This ambition aligns with the Government's Neighbourhood Health Framework and neighbourhood health plans, which seek to bring health, care and community services closer together around local needs. It also reflects the vision set out in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan, with its emphasis on prevention, community-based care and partnership working. Carers must be central to these reforms, helping to drive improved quality of care and better outcomes for the people they support. 

If we are serious about building stronger, healthier and more connected communities, we must ensure carers are visible, valued and supported. Sometimes the simplest actions can make the greatest difference: asking someone how they are coping, signposting them to support, offering practical help or simply recognising the role they play. 

During Carers Week 2026, let us celebrate the millions of unpaid carers and young carers who make such a difference every day. Thank you for your compassion, commitment and selflessness. Your contribution strengthens families, enriches communities and helps sustain our health and care system. 

Together let’s build communities that support carers in every area of their lives. 

To find out more about Carers Week visit: www.carersweek.org