THE first festival for Dorset carers is to be held next week.

Dorset Council and BCP Council are teaming up with a host of organisations for the Carers Dorset Festival on Thursday, November 25, which is also national Carers Rights Day.

The festival will offer information, tips and support through a series of events and inspirational talks for unpaid carers will be held across Dorset and can also be accessed online.

There will also be two face-to-face events including one held at Dorset Museum in Dorchester, featuring a talk by Radio 2’s Johnnie Walker and his wife Tiggy, co-patrons of Carers UK, and one at the Kinson Community Centre in Bournemouth.

There are an estimated 80,000 unpaid carers in Dorset all providing help and support to someone who could not manage without them from personal care to providing practical support like shopping.

To find out more, visit: www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/carers-dorset-festival.