CARERS in Bradford and Airedale are being offered their own care service in future to help cope with the difficulties their roles present.

The Carers' Resource is based in Shipley and is aimed at helping unpaid carers in a wide range of areas, from finding work to taking up hobbies as a break from their caring duties and even getting access to financial grants.

It CReate service provides carers and clients with the skills and confidence they need to help them - whether this is to get back to work, learn new skills or take part in new activities.

Adam Dodd is the new CReate carer coach who works with carers to offer support such as setting goals and formulating plans of how to achieve them.

The development is part of an increasing recognition in society of the numbers of people who act as carers and the scale of the impact that role has on their own lifestyles.

Mr Dodd, who formerly worked within the legal services, said: “I look forward to providing the support needed to achieve carers’ dreams and aspirations.

“This service has been created to assist carers to identify and achieve goals that will improve their quality of life.

“Seeking employment may, for some, be one such goal, but for others this would not be a reasonable or realistic goal, and in such circumstances CReate can provide confidential assistance in a vast range of activities.

“This ranges from identifying and locating hobby groups to obtaining grants to enable the carer go on holidays, and everything in between.”

Zahir Daji, who has a professional background in health and community work, will be offering job-search support to carers and said: “I hope to deliver workshops to train people so that they have the skills and confidence to pursue hobbies, study, learn IT skills and search for jobs.

“I will also offer one-to-one job-search support and help with job applications and compiling a CV.

“Our service is based at the Carers' Resource office in Shipley but may also be offered on an outreach basis from in other community venues and libraries in the future as the CReate project develops.”

The manager of the CReate service, which is based in Park View Court, St Paul’s Road, Stella Elson, said: “It is wonderful to have Adam and Zahir in place and their roles will help us to give carers and clients practical and emotional assistance so they can fulfil their potential.

“Carers have so many skills they may have either not used for a while, or they have never been discovered, and our work with them will encourages them to unleash their talents and go for it.”

More details are available by calling (01274) 449660, or at www.carersresource.org