Family Carers asked to put their life story on the line

ENNIS, Ireland - Dec. 19, 2014 - PRLog -- Family Carers throughout Ireland are being invited to put pen to paper and compose a poem as part of Caring for Carers Ireland’s annual nationwide poetry competition.

The organiser says the purpose of the competition is to highlight the significant contribution made by thousands of Family Carers to Irish society.

The theme of this year's competition is "The Caring Journey...Who Knows", and is being hosted in conjunction with the Ennis Book Club Festival taking place in the Clare County Capital on March 6-8th 2015.

The competition, the closing date for which is Friday 13th February 2015, will be independently judged and features a first prize of a weekend away for two.

“Recognising the role of Family Carers in the home is crucial. This form of care is the foundation of formal health and social care systems. Family Carers are a distinct group who provide care and also, very importantly, require care themselves," explained Brigid Barron, Innovation and Programme Manager with Caring for Carers Ireland.

"Family carers spend a lot of time caring at home and that often gives them time for reflection. The poetry submissions received by Caring for Carers in previous years have been excellent, very touching and expressive," added Ms. Barron.

Competition entries must be no longer than 30 lines and should be emailed to bbarron@caringforcarers.org or submitted by post to Brigid Barron, Innovation & Programme Manager, National Office Caring for Carers Ireland, 2 Carmody Street Business Park, Ennis, Clare.

Caring for Carers Ireland is a national non-governmental organisation supporting Family Carers.  Its primary objective is to ensure that policy makers are aware of the key issues which impact on the lives of 161,000 Family Carers throughout Ireland and influence their abilities to continue to provide care.

To contact Caring for Carers Ireland please call the organisation's Careline on 0656866515 or visit  www.caringforcarers.ie.