Unpaid carers are being recognised across South Lanarkshire as part of this year’s Carers Week.
Hamilton Town House is being lit in blue, and the Carers Week flag has been raised at council headquarters in Hamilton to highlight this year’s Carers Week, which runs this week.
Young and adult carers were joined at the flag‑raising event by South Lanarkshire Council’s Interim Provost Bert Thomson and Professor Soumen Sengupta, Chief Officer for Health and Social Care, along with Fiona Diffin, of Lanarkshire Carers, and Ian Sloan, of South Lanarkshire Young Carers Service.
Interim Provost Bert Thomson said: “More and more of us will take on caring responsibilities at different points in our lives, often alongside work, education and other commitments.
“Carers Week gives us an important opportunity to highlight those contributions and make that support more visible across our communities.”
A young carer who took part in the ceremony said: “Carers Week helps us feel recognised and reminds us we are not alone. It also helps people understand that there are different types of carers.”
Brian Murphy, of the South Lanarkshire Integration Joint Board, said: “As a carer myself, I am proud that the flag has been raised and that this visible support is being shown so prominently during Carers Week.
“Caring is part of everyday life for many people, and it is important that carers feel recognised and valued.”
Professor Sengupta said: “It has been inspiring to see carers of all ages come together to mark Carers Week as we recognise the care, commitment and compassion shown by them every day.
“It is also important to highlight that, just as carers devote themselves to a daily routine of helping others, there is also assistance available to them and that we are here to support them, too.”
