HERE is an update shared by the Chard Carers Support Group for the month of September.

There was good attendance at the September meeting of the Carers’ Support Group, where we enjoyed a social morning, with chat and a lot of tea and biscuits.

The conversation ranged far and wide but centred on some of the activities and help available in the Chard area with Ros, from the Chard Community Hub, coming in to give us an insight into the Community Hub’s activities and Pete Coller, the Village Agent, popping in after hosting the Talking Café in the Library.

Pat and Kate spent a morning visiting Karen at the Chard Friday Club (at Chard Young People’s Centre) to catch up with their activities - this is a supported group for people with memory loss and their family/carers - and then spent some time with Tim Lethaby, editor of the Chard and Ilminster News at Eleos Café.

Tim was meeting with locals to discuss how he is planning to take forward the C&I and other local newspapers; hopefully, a regular audience with one of their reporters will be coming to the Guildhall (or another suitable venue), which will provide personal contact with the newspaper staff for those preferring one to one interaction rather than electronic and social media and this should enable a much more Chard-focused editorial approach.

Finally, Kate attended a Commitment to Carers workshop in Somerton on September 19.

This was an opportunity for professionals, volunteers and unpaid carers to have a look at and contribute to Somerset’s Integrated Care Board in recording views, ideas and perspectives of individuals and associated organisations and helping us all work together more cohesively.

We’ll be talking about this and what it means at the next meeting on Monday, October 9 where we are also hosting Mediquip.

Chard Carers’ Support Group can offer a programme of speakers, outings, lunches, etc - many including the cared for, although at our meetings we like to provide a two-hour slot of respite for carers to relax and discuss any problems/successes without their charges.

If you are caring for someone – partner, child, neighbour, friend – and need some help and support yourself, please come along and meet others who are in the same situation.

We meet on the second Monday of the month 10.30am to 12.30pm in the hall behind the English Martyrs at the traffic lights in Chard (car park and easy access).

Call Pat on 01460 220026 or Kate on 01460 394331, email chardcarers@aol.com or find us on Facebook.