Art exhibition at Chatelherault

Jun 5 2008

CHATELHERAULT’S Cadzow Gallery is to host a photographic exhibition of carers’ portraits, ‘24 hours’, from June 2 to celebrate Carers Week.

Each image shows a carer seated on the sofa in their own home alongside the person they care for.

Accompanying each image is an explanation by the pic tured carer of their role.

The carers portrayed come from all over Scotland and include three from Lanarkshire.

The photographs were captured by Hannah Hills, an up-and-coming portrait photographer, one of whose portraits was exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery in 2005.

Carers Week is a national event and was set up to raise awareness about carers and the work they do.

Now in its 14th year, Carers Week 2008 takes place from June 8 to June 15 and will focus on the impact that caring can have on carers’ health and wellbeing.

Harry Stevenson, executive director of Social Work in South Lanarkshire, said: “This exhibition is an excellent way of illustrating the valuable role carers play in the life of Scotland.”

A carer is someone who looks after a friend or relative who could not manage without that help due to illness, disability, or addiction.

As carers are unpaid, it is estimated that they save the Scottish Government around £7.68 billion every year.

Director of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers in Scotland, Florence Burke, said: “With one in eight people in Scotland being an unpaid carer, Carers Week is an important time to acknowledge the valuable contribution they make to people’s lives and the public purse.”

The exhibition will be at Cadzow Gallery until June 30, and is open from 10am - 5pm Monday to Saturday and between 12pm and 5pm on Sunday.