Dear carers 

I hope this newsletter finds you warm and dry. 

My thoughts go out to the many people in NSW who are facing floods and the heartbreaking impact on their homes and businesses. 

Natural disasters are so difficult for many of us but even more so for carers and the people you care for. The added stress of becoming stranded, loss of power and supplies, inability to leave the house, worry about the safety and wellbeing of others adds to the trauma. 

I am really happy to have partnered with the ACT Government to develop an Emergency Database that has the capacity to hold the details of people who are vulnerable in emergency situations. The Database, which we are launching soon, will be able to be accessed by Emergency Services Personnel and Community Disaster Personnel to ensure that they are aware of the locations and needs of vulnerable people. Whilst this may not alleviate all worry it is a step towards reducing the stress carers can experience during a community emergency (such as fires, floods, pandemics, loss of power). 

My apologies that the June newsletter is a little late. Unfortunately, the talented Rochelle who has been our Communications Officer has left us to return to her family business and this has left the task of the newsletter to become a group effort! We are recruiting to the position now and will have someone on deck soon. 

June has been a really busy month as we approach the end of the financial year. Thank you to everyone who passed on information on making a donation to Carers ACT to their friends and colleagues. Whilst lots of people make donations in June, we are able to take donations at any time through the Donate Now button on our website. One of the activities our donations go towards supporting are our retreats. This month I want to say a particular thanks to the staff in our groups team who conducted 6 retreats in June and a total of 14 retreats in the past 6 months. I know how valuable these retreats are for carers and we are really proud of this program. It has been lovely to see some of you on the retreats I have been able to visit and it is great to see you able to have the opportunity after long periods of isolation due to COVID. It has been a massive feat for the groups team and I am proud of the work they have done. 

I strongly encourage carers of people with disability (not just NDIS but any disability) to participate in the development of the ACT Disability Strategy during July. This will be an important document for setting the seen for inclusion and community over the coming years. It is vital that the voices of all people with disability are heard and that the voices of carers are included in the deliberations of the Strategy. More details are in the newsletter. 

I was proud to attend the NAIDOC Ball on Saturday night. In partnership with Shaw Building Group, we sponsor the NAIDOC ball and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly those who are carers. As part of recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers we have commenced recording a series of podcasts to tell their story of being a carer. We are planning to launch a series of 6 podcasts in August. 

As always, please reach out if you need any information or assistance. Our team is always here ready to provide support when you need it. Please do not hesitate to reach out anytime. You can call us through the Carer Gateway at 1800 422 737, our office line at 6296 9900, or email us at carers@carersact.org.au.  

Regards 

Lisa Kelly 

CEO