Carers Week 2026 takes place from 8–14 June and we’re delighted to share our programme of activities and events taking place across Kingston throughout the week. 
 
At Kingston Carers Network (KCN), we know that building carer friendly communities means more than raising awareness alone. It means creating opportunities for carers to access support, connect with others, focus on their wellbeing and feel recognised within their local community.  

With this year’s theme in mind, our Carers Week timetable brings together activities focused on health and wellbeing, community connection, practical support and helping Kingston become a more carer friendly borough. 

Across the week, carers will also be able to take part in a range of other activities and support sessions, which you can book here: 

• A coffee morning at Your Healthcare, Hollyfield House, where carers are welcome to drop in and speak with the Your Healthcare team and representatives from other organisations about support available to them
• A benefits and advice open-day at our office with our Benefits and Tribunal Representative, offering practical support around finances and entitlements
• Free health check-ups and wellbeing advice at our office with Kathy Wong, Health Engagement Officer at Kingston Voluntary Action
• A picnic at Hampton Court, giving carers the chance to relax, connect with others and enjoy a well-earned break from their caring responsibilities
• Free beauty and wellbeing treats kindly delivered by Kingston College students, after Kingston College reached out to show their support for local unpaid carers (now fully booked)

A highlight of the week will be a special partnership event with Carers UK and Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and MP for Kingston and Surbiton. The afternoon will focus on hearing directly from carers about what truly supportive communities look and feel like, alongside activities, refreshments and prizes donated by local businesses in recognition of carers and all they do.

Please note that due to overwhelming popularity, we are currently at capacity for this particular event, but will release more places if they become available. 

Our young carers groups will also be taking part in themed activities during the week, including a special yoga session led by Rebekah Arkle, founder of local yoga school All Shapes Yoga. Alongside this, KCN will be delivering school assemblies at local schools to help raise understanding of young carers, as many young people do not realise they are young carers or that support is available to them.

Carers Week is an important opportunity to celebrate carers, create understanding of the challenges many face and highlight the difference that supportive communities can make. Across Kingston, we want carers to feel recognised, valued and connected – not just during Carers Week, but on every day of the year.

Find out more about Carers Week 2026

Want to know more about how we can support you and always be the first to hear about upcoming activities and opportunities? Register with us today.

The evening brought volunteers together to enjoy a delicious selection of Iranian and Persian food, test their knowledge in a table quiz and, most importantly, celebrate the impact they have on the lives of young carers and families across Kingston.

A highlight of the evening was sharing entries from our Young Carers Volunteers' Week competition. We asked young carers:

"If anything was possible, how would you thank our volunteers?"

The answers were thoughtful, imaginative and full of appreciation.

Some young carers said they would take volunteers to the World of Paw Patrol at Chessington World of Adventures and the zoo, give everyone what they want, buy them flowers, award them medals or take them to their favourite place.

We were also delighted to announce the two winning entries.

Winner: Lena

"If anything were possible… I'd do everything they do for me!!!"

Winner: Maisey

"Thank you Jason. I will take you to Disneyland. You are so kind to me. You make jokes about croissants I love! You put a smile on my face."

Hearing these messages reminded everyone just how much volunteers mean to the young carers they support.

As a final thank you, every volunteer who attended received a card, Hampton Court Palace tickets and one of more than 80 homemade cookies baked by our Volunteers Manager Jess, each decorated with the words "Thank you".

Thank you to everyone who came along, and to all our volunteers. We simply could not exist without your support, and we are incredibly grateful for everything you do.

If you’re interested in making a similar impact, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about our volunteering opportunities here. 

Peter has generously volunteered his time to support carers through free one-to-one online sessions focused on CV development, interview preparation, confidence building and employment support. Drawing on his background in advertising, he helps people learn how to effectively communicate their skills and experiences to employers.

One of Peter's greatest strengths is helping carers recognise just how valuable their experiences are. Caring develops a wide range of transferable skills, including organisation, problem solving, communication, resilience and time management. Peter works with carers to identify these strengths and turn them into compelling examples for CVs and interviews.

Since joining Kingston Carers Network, Peter has delivered more than 22 one-to-one support sessions with both young and adult carers. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting increased confidence and a better understanding of how to present themselves to employers.

"I really enjoy spending time with the inspiring carers and support team at Kingston Carers. My aim is to help them to identify what they offer potential employers (which is always a lot more than they think!) and then help them to communicate these skills and talents through their CVs and interviews." Peter

Peter also volunteers with Rise Up Manchester, supporting people who face barriers to employment, and brings this wealth of experience to his work with our carers.

We are incredibly grateful for Peter's time, enthusiasm and commitment to helping carers achieve their goals.

Could Peter help you take the next step?

If you're a carer who is thinking about returning to work, looking for a new role, preparing for interviews or simply wanting to build your confidence, Peter can help

Peter currently has availability to support more carers.

To access this support, you'll first need to be registered with us. If you are registered and would like to be referred to Peter, please contact Jess Burrows.

As we celebrate Volunteers’ Week, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to the incredible volunteers who give their time, skills and experience to support unpaid carers across Kingston.

Our volunteers support carers in many different ways. From preparing meals for young carers at group activities to being the first voice a carer might hear when they call our office, they provide practical support, a listening ear and a warm welcome to carers across Kingston.

This year’s volunteer survey highlighted the dedication and commitment of our volunteers. Nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) have volunteered with Kingston Carers Network for more than three years.

Our volunteers highlighted the positive impact volunteering has on them, helping them to build confidence, develop skills, improve wellbeing and make new connections. One volunteer shared:

“As a young carer myself, I met amazing volunteers offering their free time to provide many fun events. Now being a trustee, I am able to give my time back to support young carers and also, it has allowed me to gain more experience in finance, governance and confidence building.”

Others reflected:

"Volunteering contributes to me keeping faith in human beings. It is important to be reminded and see the positive impacts of helping one another. I appreciate also the lovely social opportunities of meeting with people, and I gained confidence and skills that I would probably not have developed more otherwise (like cooking for 30+ people!).”

“Volunteering has helped me become more confident and improve my communication skills. It has made me more patient and understanding towards others. I also feel proud knowing that I am helping people and making a positive difference.”

Every volunteer who completed our survey said they were proud to volunteer with us, would recommend volunteering to others and felt their volunteering makes a positive difference to carers.

"This is the best charity I have volunteered for in terms of support."

Among the many volunteers making a difference are Amanda, Chris and Jake.

Chris has volunteered as a mentor for more than a year, supporting a 14-year-old young carer who helps care for his mother, who lives with a rare condition. Together they have taken part in activities including rock climbing, mountain biking and gym sessions, while also developing independent travel skills. His young carer’s mother described Chris as “much more than a mentor”, adding that her son “would see him every single day if he could.”

Jake, one of our youngest volunteers and a former young carer, now gives back by supporting other young carers. During Mental Health Awareness Week, he delivered a powerful speech to our youth group, sharing his experiences and highlighting the importance of support for young carers.

We are also grateful to our Volunteers Coordinator, Jess, whose dedication helps ensure volunteers feel welcomed, supported and valued throughout their volunteering journey. Her commitment is reflected in this year’s survey, where 100% of volunteers who responded said they felt welcomed and valued as a volunteer.

To every volunteer who gives their time to Kingston Carers Network, thank you. Your kindness and commitment make a real difference to carers and their families every day.

If you’re interested in making a similar impact to Amanda, Chris and Jake, we would love to hear from you. You can find out more about our volunteering opportunities here. 

As part of the BBC’s Caring Matters Week, actor Natalie Cassidy, best known for playing Sonia Fowler in EastEnders, read Young Carers in Space on CBeebies Bedtime Stories on Monday 26 May. The episode is available to watch on BBC iPlayer and the CBeebies YouTube channel.

Created by illustrator and storyteller Ana Graça and the Young Carers Illustration Project, Young Carers in Space was developed in collaboration with primary school-aged young carers, including young carers supported by Kingston Carers Network.

Young carers are children and young people who look after or help care for a family member who may be living with illness, disability, mental health challenges or substance misuse.

Through interactive workshops with Ana, our young carers shared ideas that helped shape the story, characters and illustrations. Their experiences also helped inspire Honey, the book’s six-year-old main character, including choosing her name.

Young Carers in Space follows Honey as she travels into space with the help of a fairy while learning that she does not have to face challenges alone. At home, Honey helps care for her older brother and struggles to share her worries with her teacher at school. Along the way, she discovers other young carers like her and learns that support is available.

The Young Carers Illustration Project has now published two of Ana’s books and aims to increase representation of young carers in children’s literature, helping young children reflect on their own feelings and experiences. It believes that children’s literature has an important role in supporting better recognition of the needs of young carers, including very young children.

Young Carers in Space builds on the success of Young Carers in Bunnyland, which was also developed with input from our young carers. The original book was launched at our Dream Big event at Chessington World of Adventures in 2024.

Both books are now available free to download below, helping more children, families, schools and professionals access stories that reflect and celebrate the experiences of young carers.

Read the books

Download Young Carers in Bunnyland
Download Young Carers in Space

Learn more about the Young Carers Illustration Project and Ana Graca’s work

Young Carers in Schools Coordinator 

Location: Surbiton/London (with some Hybrid working) 

Salary: £36,691 

Hours: 36 hours 

Contract: 3-year fixed term 

Closing Date: Monday 15th June 

Interviews: W/C 22nd June 

About the Role 

Lead delivery of a schools programme supporting young carers and building partnerships across education settings. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Deliver programme 

• Build partnerships 

• Train staff 

• Improve outcomes 

• Report impact 

• Ensure safeguarding 

Targeted Support Worker 

Salary: £18,345 pro rata 

Hours: 18 hours per week 

Contract: Permanent 

About the Role 

Join our Young Carers Project supporting young people through one-to-one and group work to improve wellbeing and resilience. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Provide targeted support 

• Build relationships 

• Support wellbeing 

• Monitoring and outcomes 

• Maintain records 

• Follow safeguarding 

Both Roles:

Location: Surbiton/London (with some Hybrid working) 

Closing Date: Monday 15th June 

Interviews: W/C 22nd June 

Further Details & Applications here: Job opportunities

Make a difference to Young Carers in Kingston.