UNPAID carers will be at City Hall this Friday to mark national Carers Rights Day.

Carers’ Resource, a charity which gives emotional and practical support to more than 13,000 unpaid carers across the district, has organised a special event on November 24 to highlight issues that carers have said are important to them.

The charity’s chief executive, Chris Whiley, said: “This is going to be an exciting event because we know from carers that there are a lot of burning issues that they wish to discuss and have acknowledged by people in power.

“Throughout the day there will be an ongoing discussion group in a separate room that will enable carers to record their concerns and further have their say.

“All unpaid carers are welcome to attend, no matter where they live. An unpaid carer is anyone who provides help and support to a friend, neighbour or relative who could not otherwise manage because of frailty, illness or disability.”

The morning session from 10am to 12.20pm includes talks about financial options for paying for care, what day care is available, communication with carers and about carer wellbeing from a GP’s perspective.

Young adult carer Amen Dhesi, from Wrose, will also talk about his caring role. Last year he told the Telegraph & Argus how he had battled mental health issues as a child while caring for his bipolar dad and was setting up a new initiative to help Bradford youngsters achieve life goals.

Mr Dhesi, 22, was helped by local groups including Barnardos Young Carers, who he says got him through his darkest days while growing up and at university.

Now a qualified sports coach, he is involved with Carers’ Resource and its work as well as keeping up links with Barnardos.

Next Friday’s Carers’ Resource afternoon session will start at 1pm with a talk from Bradford Council’s assistant director of operational services Lyn Sowray, who is also a carer, followed by Care Quality Commission inspectors discussing what they look for from GPs in terms of carer support.

A Question Time-type panel of local politicians from the Labour, Conservative and Green parties will field questions from carers before the event closes at 3pm.

Lunch is available for unpaid carers who can pre-book by calling Carers’ Resource on 01274 449660 or emailing bradfordadmin@carersre source.org at least 48 hours before the event.

Three in five people will become carers at some point in their lives, and about 45 per cent of carers have had to give up work to care for a loved one. In a report out this year, 25 per cent of carers said they had not had a day off from caring in more than five years. By 2030, the number of carers will increase by 3.4 million.

Go to carersresource.org to find out more.