Carers Central newsletter
December 2024
Wishing you our warmest season’s greetings
All our very best wishes to everyone this Christmas and New Year.
Holiday opening times
Here are our holiday opening times for our telephone and email service for unpaid carers in Luton:
Monday 23rd December; Open from 9am to 5pm
Tuesday 24th December; Open from 9am to 2pm
Wednesday 25th December; Closed
Thursday 26th December; Closed
Friday 27th December; Open from 10am to 4pm
Monday 30th December; Open from 10am to 4pm
Tuesday 31st December; Open from 10am to 4pm
Wednesday 1st January; Closed
Thursday 2nd January; Open 9am to 5pm
Emergency help
If you need help in an emergency then there are many local and national services available:
See emergency hotline phone numbers for carers in Luton on our website.
Luton Carers’ Handbook - Now available for free to you in 11 languages
Visit our Carers Central website to download your free copy of the latest edition of the Luton Carers’ Handbook in one of 11 languages.
Thanks to our funders, Luton Council, who arranged the translation of our popular Luton Carers’ Handbook, from English, to 10 popular languages spoken in Luton. So we are very pleased to make them available to download on our website.
Hard copies are also available, to those that need them, so please contact our team who will arrange print outs.
Regular community events
Here are the highlights of our recent work bringing carers together, sharing resources and offering support. We are often at local events in Luton so please come and say hello when you see our stand and banners.
• Phoenix Sunrise community support initiative
• Helping Hands Macmillan coffee morning
• Task Bedfordshire fire service safety awareness sessions
Regular drop-in sessions
We host drop-in sessions at the Luton Library and monthly coffee gatherings at the Hatters Hub. These sessions welcome patients from:
• Bute House Surgery
• Hockwell Ring and Britannia House Surgery
• Lister House Surgery
• Leagrave Surgery
• Oakley Road Surgery
• Sundon Medical Centre / Hatters Hub
These locations provide spaces for connection, questions and access to resources.
Supporting carers in our community
On November 21 2024, our Carers Central team participated in Carers Rights Day at Luton Point, helping carers with our updated carers rights checklist. We collaborated with Healthwatch, Chums, (Child and the Adolescent Mental Health Service) and Shared Lives Carers. The event welcomed many community members and the Luton Council commissioner Bobby Mahoney with his team.
Stay warm & save money: Your guide to energy support for Luton’s unpaid carers this winter 2024 / 2025
Carers Central and The Disability Resource Centre has compiled a comprehensive guide to energy support resources to help you navigate the challenges and stay warm this winter: Winter can be a financially stressful time, especially for unpaid carers. The rising cost of energy adds an extra burden, but help is available…
We are looking for carers from Luton to join our Experts by Experience Group
Join our Experts by Experience feedback group
Join our Experts by Experience feedback group. Have your voices heard and help shape our services for the future.
This initiative brings people with lived experience of disability and those that care for them to:
• Share valuable insights
• Help shape future community services
• Connect with other carers
Contact carerscentral@drcbeds.org.uk to find out more and to join the group.
Winter wellness: Nutrition tips
Nutritious meals and warm drinks help maintain body temperature and energy levels during cold weather.
Nourishing hot meals
Winter meals like soups, stews and casseroles provide:
• Internal warmth through hot food
• Sustained energy from protein and complex carbohydrates
• Easier digestion
Here’s a great recipe we love to cook.
Sweet potato and carrot soup recipe
(Adapted from BBC Good Food)
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
• 500g sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked
• 300g carrots, peeled and chunked
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 100ml crème fraiche, plus extra for serving
Method:
1. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ Gas 7 and put 500g of sweet potatoes and 300g of carrots in a large roasting tin, drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil and seasoning.
2. Roast vegetables in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until caramelised and tender.
3. Meanwhile put the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large deep saucepan and fry 2 finely chopped onions over a medium low heat for about 10 mins until softened.
4. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves stir for 1 minute before adding 1 litre vegetable stock, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the onions are soft then set aside.
5. Once the roasted vegetables are done leave to cool a little then transfer to the saucepan and use a handheld blender to process until smooth, stir in 100ml crème fraiche, add a little more seasoning and reheat until hot.
6. Serve in bowls topped with a swirl of crème fresh and a good grinding of black pepper. Enjoy…
Additional free services
Free training for Personal Assistants in care at The Disability Resource Centre
The Disability Resource Centre’s Care Academy recognises the dedication of Personal Assistants (PAs) in care and offers free workshops designed to enhance your skills and build confidence. We have new workshops every Tuesday in Luton or online. Check our timetable for the free workshops coming up…
If you are struggling with a musculoskeletal condition and feeling stuck on waiting lists, then our free MSK ActiveWell programme could be the answer
Our free MSK ActiveWell programme is proving popular. There are still places available. Read all about our innovative approach to helping people on MSK surgery waiting lists.
At no cost to you, how to turn your daily online shopping into vital funds for our charity
easyfundraising turns your daily shopping into every day magic. easyfundraising is the UK’s biggest charity shopping site with over £57 million raised for various causes since 2005. To support our charity, The Disability Resource Centre, at no cost to you, when you shop online follow these easy steps…
Contact Sally and Levi your Carer Support Workers.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm
Phone: 0300 303 0201
Email: carerscentral@drcbeds.org.uk
Website: www.carerscentral.org.uk