Carer Awards 2026

Carers Week is always an important date in the calendar — and rightly so, as it celebrates everything that unpaid carers stand for and the care they provide.

Throughout the week, we connected with around 800 carers and professionals who support them through the events we hosted and attended.

Unpaid carers play a vital role in supporting the work of health and social care services for our loved ones. They provide round-the-clock care without payment, effectively becoming all services rolled into one. Carers show unwavering dedication, providing support, compassion, and strength every single day. Despite this, they are often undervalued and overlooked in the day-to-day planning of their loved one’s future.

In Dudley alone, there are 37,000 recognised unpaid carers. However, the true figure is likely much higher, as many family members and friends do not identify themselves as carers.

As part of Carers Week, we host our annual Carers Awards. These awards not only celebrate the dedication and experiences of carers but also recognise the outstanding commitment of professionals who support families as a whole.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made the event possible: all the volunteers who helped organise it; The Mayor and Mayoress of Dudley; Cllr Pete Lowe and Su Lowe; Dudley Borough Councillors; Local Authority and Health professionals; Award Presenters; Our charity supporters; East Meets West Catering; WeLoveCarers Trustees; Halesowen Town Hall staff; Kingswinford & Stourbridge Lions; George Dunn Lawson; Brody Swain; and finally, the award winners, families, and supporters themselves.

This event would not be the success it is without the winners and their stories, which truly showcase just how incredible unpaid carers across Dudley are