We are nearly there. After years of campaigning, on the 6^th of April 2 million employees with unpaid caring responsibilities will be able to take up to five days of Carer’s Leave. 

This leave is unpaid but some employers are volunteering to make it paid. You can use it for scheduled appointments and other necessary duties of being a carer. It does not have to be an emergency.

Social Supermarkets as an idea are taking off. You can think of them as somewhere in between a real supermarket and a food bank. They are normally hosted by a community group or charity and allow you to buy a week’s worth of shopping at a subsidised price without any benefits checks or embarrassing obstacles.

Longbenton Community Association

Shiremoor Adventure Playground

Saint Aidan's Church

Howdon Family Gateway

Fordley Primary School

Whitley Bay Young Peoples Centre

North Tyneside Art Studio are running new creative well-being workshops at

Stephenson Railway Museum. Come along and have a go at a range of art and craft techniques inspired by the museum and its surrounding outdoor areas. Enjoy a cuppa while you create!

All materials are provided and no experience is necessary.

Weekly sessions begin on Wednesday 3rd April 10am - 12pm. Meet just inside the main entrance

of the museum. Advance booking required. Book here:

Creative Journeys Tickets, Wed, Apr 3, 2024 at 10:00 AM | Eventbrite

For further information contact jess.ntartstudio@gmail.com |

The NHS is doing a survey on the priorities for people who use or support someone using NHS Personal Health Budget. They want to know:

•  What worked well for you?

•  What didn’t work as well for you?

• What improvements could be made in the future?

You can reply by emailing: caretreeuk@gmail.com with your answers. 

The Mental Health Carers Group meets again for a monthly walk and talk. 

It is a great opportunity to support one another while getting some exercise and maybe see some new sights. 

If you are a carer for someone with a mental health issue why not come along and experience the group?

The next Walk and Talk is planned for 2:00 pm Thursday 25th April with people meeting outside the Gibraltar Rock in Tynemouth. 

Please ring 0191 2496480 or email enquiries@ntcarers if you have not attended the group before and then Ros and Caroline can greet you. 

Dogs are welcome on the walks.

Healthier Together

Healthier Together is a local NHS website that gives you trusted information about children’s health.

They also have an app and it looks like a great resource for when parents are concerned and need some trusted information. 

 Healthier Together

The National Minimum wage increase in April means people receiving carers allowance and working part-time will have to work fewer hours or  go over the threshold of the amount of money they are allowed to earn from employment.

The minimum wage is going up £11.44 on April 1, but the earnings threshold for carers allowance is only going up to £151. This means carers can only work 13 hours and 12 minutes before they earn too much.

In 2019 you could work 15 hours before hitting the threshold and since then, the carers allowance threshold has not kept up with increases in the minimum wage. 

Carers UK have a good article on the background of this development.

You might have read about Martha’s Rule being introduced into hospitals. It allows a second opinion if a patient or their family is concerned their condition is getting worse. Locally the rule is called Call4Concern and it is been introduced in all Northumbria Healthcare hospitals. 

Northumbria say the first step is to talk to the ward nurse or doctor and if you still have concerns contact 0191 607 2034. They say, “Call4Concern creates a safety net for patients, family and friends to call for help and advice. It is there if you or your family are concerned that your condition is getting worse. The service is available at all our hospitals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” 

Read more here.