Please be aware that all our face to face events and carers' groups are cancelled at present. Online events are running. You can still call us on 01992 58 69 69 (9am - 5.30pm Mon - Thurs & 9am - 4.30pm Fri).
Toggle Bar

Carer Support Hubs

national lottery community fund logoThanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund we launched 16 hubs providing local support and information for carers across Hertfordshire between April 2014 and April 2019. We have been fortunate to secure further funding from April 2019 to April 2022 to continue supporting and developing our Hubs and will create a new interest group in each year of the project. This Hub work is part of a wider volunteer project and you can learn more about this on our Volunteer page.

If you would like to volunteer with our Hubs or as Ambassadors or would like to offer to give a talk to a group please see the 'How to get involved section' below.

Community for carers logoWhat are Carer Support Hubs?

You told us that you wanted much stronger local support for carers and thanks to a grant of £200,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund (formerly the Big Lottery Fund) awarded in the year 2013/14 we have been able to provide a grassroots service run by carers for carers, to best meet your needs. The hubs are one-stop shop where you can find information about what is happening in your local area, get advice, support and make friends. There are also peer led and interest based groups. Please note that due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) all the face to face events we are hosting, including Hubs and support groups, are currently cancelled, although some of our hub groups are meeting online using Zoom. We will update you as things change.

We have 16 area-based hubs - Berkhamsted, Bishop’s Stortford, Borehamwood, Buntingford, Chorleywood, Harpenden, Hemel Hempstead, Hoddesdon, Potters Bar, Letchworth Garden City, Royston, St Albans, Stevenage, Ware, Watford and Welwyn Garden City.

Our hubs are groups run by volunteers or carers for carers and focus on offering emotional and practical support. Most groups meet once a month and offer activities include a programme of speakers and time to talk. Carers can book 1:1 appointments with a Carers in Hertfordshire Carer Support Advisor at some meetings to plan their caring role.

We also have a Men's Carers' Group that started meeting on Tuesday 28th January 2020. The group is currently not running due to the coronavirus, but it usually meets the last Tuesday of the month, from 1pm - 3pm, at The South Hill Centre,  Cemetery Hill,  Hemel Hempstead. Like our other support groups it is free to attend and there is no need to book, just turn up and you will receive a warm welcome.

In addition to our Carer Support Hub groups many areas will have Peer Led Carer Groups, for example there is a Carers' Camera Club (meeting online during the COVID-19 situation), a Pudding Club, plus support groups in areas such as Borehamwood and Radlett. You can find out about all these here -  Carers' Support Hubs and Peer Led Groups List.

There are some evening groups including such as the one that usually meets in Hatfield at the Tesco Extra (Community Room) on the second Wednesday of each month from 7.30pm - 9pm.

You can find out more about hubs in our video An Introduction to Carer Support Hubs 

In addition each hub area has Volunteer Ambassadors whose role it is to help identify new carers and to spread the word about what is available locally for them.

Within each hub area you can also attend workshops to learn new skills and have a break from caring. Please click here to see what events are available.

Watford Hub art session 2019

 

Volunteer Ambassador JamesVolunteer Ambassador James promoting support for carers at a Community Event.

Upcoming Hub Events

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) all the face to face events we are hosting or had planned, including Hubs and support groups, are currently cancelled. However, we are holding most of our hub meetings by Zoom, an online video communications tool. Places are limited at these meetings, but if you wish to be part of them you should book a place by calling us on 01992 58 69 69 or email

We will update you as things change. Please contact us for support or advice related to your caring role.

Thursday 17th September 2020, 10.30am - 11.30am: Harpenden area Carers Support Hub Online via Zoom so carers can catch up over a drink and snack if they want to. 

Friday 18th September 2020, 11am - 12pm noon: Ware and Hertford area Carers Support Hub Online via Zoom so carers can have a catch up over a cuppa if they want to. 

Monday 21st September 2020, 10.30am - 11.30am: Chorleywood and Rickmansworth Carers Support Hub Online via Zoom so carers can have a catch up. 

Tuesday 29th September 2020, 10.30am - 11.30am: Buntingford area Carers Support Hub Online via Zoom so carers can have a catch up over a cuppa if they want to. 

How can you get involved?

Volunteer

There are lots of training opportunities for carers to take on a variety of voluntary roles with their local hub. We are particularly looking for volunteers to run our Berkhamsted, Letchworth and Potters Bar Hub groups.

You can also look at the volunteer roles by clicking here (link to Volunteer Jobs page) or find out more about being a Carers in Hertfordshire volunteer on our Volunteer page. To register your interest in any part of this project please email  or call 01992 58 69 69.

One way we keep in touch with our Volunteers is via newsletter and you can find them on our Volunteer page. Our latest newsletter is here Volunteers' newsletter (July 2020).

Speakers

If you think you have a topic that would be of interest to carers at our Hub support groups please email the volunteer email with details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other articles in this category: « Carers' Assessments     Links »
back to top