Asian Carers Project

Asian carers, especially women, often face particular difficulties accessing support in their caring role, for a variety of reasons. The Asian Carers Project tries to bridge this gap by offering a programme of events, groups and services, alongside one-to-one advice and help to carers.   Staff members Faheema Khan and Swapna Chakraborty who plan and co-ordinate all our work with Asian carers have wide-ranging language skills, extensive experience as advisers and group facilitators and in-depth knowledge of local Asian communities.

 

Oxford Carers Centre runs three regular groups for Asian women carers at different locations around the city. All groups offer a chance for women to get together and share experiences in a safe and welcoming place. Several participants say that they look forward to these groups all week.

 

Staff members feel it is really important that women using the Asian Carers Project can help to shape the programme it offers. All 3 women’s groups have sessions during the year to discuss what activities they would like to have in the future, and give feedback to staff and each other on ways the groups could be improved. 

 

Coach trips out of Oxford to London and Birmingham are consistently the most requested activities and are extremely popular, giving participants a chance to visit the huge variety of shops and have a break in good company. The destinations are varied over the year to cater for the various different Asian communities using the Project, including Pakistani, Bengali-speaking and Pashtun.

 

Individual carers are offered up to 6 free massage or acupuncture sessions with a qualified therapist. Many women offered complementary therapy have chronic health problems and users tell us that these sessions help them feel better physically and also mentally. 

 Project staff work with individual carers, both men and women, to offer advice and support across a whole range of areas. Work with Asian carers tends to be particularly intensive as extra support is often needed to claim benefits, and access help from the social and health care statutory services. 

 

For more information about the project contact Faheema or Swapna on 01865 205192 or email info@carerscentre.co.uk