More than 100 unpaid carers have enjoyed a day of action at Bradford’s City Hall to mark national Carers Rights Day.

The event was hosted by local charity Carers’ Resource, which gives emotional and practical support to 13,000 unpaid carers across Bradford district.

Speakers at the event included health professionals, social care workers and local politicians.

There was also a talk from carer Amen Dhesi, who has set up a new initiative called Imagine Bradford to help youngsters in the district with mental health problems achieve their life goals.

The programme for the day was compiled after carers told the charity what issues are important to them, such as continuing health care, how to get better support from GPs, better understanding of direct payments, and day care.

Mr Dhesi, 22, of Wrose, also spoke about his experiences as a carer over the past decade after his father was diagnosed with bipolar.

He explained to the audience that he battled mental health issues and was bullied at school over his weight, then relied on drugs and alcohol to cope during his late teens.

Mr Dhesi said information he learnt on his sports science degree as well as emotional support from his support worker at Carers’ Resource helped him to get through his “darkest days”, understand his feelings and improve his mental health.

Mr Dhesi said: “People in the room could relate to me and had similar experiences as me.”

He said discussions on the day about carers’ rights and personal budgets provided him with “important” information.

Carers also heard from the National Development Team for Inclusion, which has worked with carers in Bradford and Carers’ Resource on the impact of the Care Act.

It is also starting a new phase of research in the area.

Judy Steel, of Cottingley, said: “I worked on the Care Act in the 1990s, although it has changed a lot since.

“Today has been absolutely brilliant.

“It’s been an essential day for carers to get out there, get their voices heard but also hear about what is out there that they can access or find out about.

“It’s been great in promoting that all carers have to do is call Carers’ Resource.”

Carers’ Resource chair of trustees, David Harbourne, joined a Question Time-style panel of local councillors.

They took questions on a wide range of topics.

Broadcaster Peg Alexander facilitated the panel, which consisted of Councillors Martin Love (Green, Shipley), Cath Bacon (Labour, Keighley West), Alun Griffiths (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) and Jackie Whiteley (Con, Wharfedale).

Mr Harbourne said: “All the politicians agreed that carers need to be higher on the political agenda.

“We only found out today that five of the six panel members had been carers at some point in their lives, which is slightly higher than the national average which is that three in five of us will be unpaid carers at some point in our lives.

“We were so pleased so many carers could join us, as we know it’s tough for carers to commit to a full day out away from their caring duties.”