Support needed for Dublin family carers

166,490 family carers across Dublin are providing round-the-clock care for loved ones who are ill, elderly or have additional needs.

Often unpaid, unseen and exhausted, these family carers hold their families together under immense pressure and isolation.

They form the backbone of our communities and our health services – yet many are struggling in silence.

To recognise and support them, Family Carers Ireland is urging the public to buy a Heart of Gold pin (€2).

The campaign runs throughout June, culminating in Heart of Gold Day on Thursday, 12^th June, during National Carers Week.

Each €2 gold heart sold helps towards funding essential services for family carers, including respite breaks, counselling, the National Freephone Careline, local drop-in centres, peer support groups, and training. These are not just services – they are lifelines that help family carers cope with the daily realities of their role.

This year the Heart of Gold campaign is proudly supported by Lidl Ireland, with gold hearts available in all 186 Lidl stores nationwide during the month of June.

“Caring doesn’t stop – it doesn’t clock off at 5pm,” said Aisling Kinsella, Family Carers Ireland’s Community Support Manager in Dublin.

“In every town and parish in Dublin, someone is quietly providing full-time care with little or no support.

“We regularly see family carers pushed to breaking point – financially strained, emotionally drained and completely isolated.

“Buying a gold heart might seem like a small gesture, but it’s genuinely meaningful.

“€2 won’t fix everything, but it can help towards providing the respite, counselling or urgent support a family carer desperately needs.”

To learn more, donate, or access support, visit: https://www.familycarers.ie/