The following are excerpts of carer's comments about the benefits of being part of Caring for Carers:

"I feel supported."

"I feel empowered, more assertive to claim my time, my space."

"I feel valued as a carer by the organisation(PSEC), honoured."

"I have come out of isolation."

                                                                                                                                                                                       "I learnt from others, learnt some more tools. My social network is extended, i have new friends."

" You share the good experiences as well as the on-going challenges."

"Coming to meetings opened up my world and took the focus from my lonely road."

"I could be supercrap and it wouldn't matter, they accepted me."

"Having somewhere to go to talk, i didn't know where to go before."

"Going to C4C has put things in a different light for me and has helped put htings into perspective for me, making it easier."

"This is for me, so often I hear 'how is dad?' What about me?"

"I am becoming more assertive in getting the help we need."

"We can discuss each others problems, that we just can't do with our other friends. We have to put on a big front with friends and family as they don't really understand."

"I have somewhere to go to, a back stop."

" I felt I was palnning my life around my husband's needs, socially, food, outings, people, and actually every aspect of it. He didn't expect me to do any of this. I just did it and my world started to close in on myself. Now I do things without consulting him, I inform him, but he never asks about my group. I don't mind , it's my thing."