AN ORGANISATION that supports unpaid carers in the Dorset Council area are celebrating today after being awarded £9,600 in funding from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Carer Support Dorset plan to use the funding to run a series of arts workshops across the county during Carers Week - from June 6 to June 12.

Anna Elston, Dorset Services Manager, Carer Support Dorset, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this grant means that we can give something back to unpaid carers across Dorset.

"They work tirelessly to look after their loved ones, often with little or no reward.

"By running these workshops, we hope to help reduce the isolation that carers can face as well as giving carers the opportunity to learn new skills.”

The eight art workshops for unpaid carers will be run by the Arts Development Company across the week.

The workshops will be run at the following times and venues: on Monday, June 6 in Winterborne Whitechurch village hall there will be a 'play with clay workshop' from 10am to 12noon, and a cloudscape workshop from 2pm to 4pm.

On the same day at the Dorset Carers Hub, 28 South Street in Dorchester, there will be a puppet workshop from 10am to 12noon, and a music making workshop from 2pm to 4pm.

On Wednesday, June 8 at the Gillingham Library there will be introduction to lino printmaking from 10am to 12noon, and again from 1pm to 3pm.

On Friday, June 10 in the Beacon Room at St Mary's Church in Ferndown there will be a movement and dance workshop from 11am to 1pm, and a singing workshop from 2pm to 4pm.

In addition to this, carers will be able to help decorate venues for Carers Week by receiving free bunting packs made by The Wayward Adventurers Guild.

Spaces for each workshop are limited to unpaid carers; to book your free place, please contact 0800 368 8349 or email admin@carersupportdorset.co.uk.

The National Lottery raise more than £30 million a week for causes across the UK, a portion of which is distributed to the National Lottery Community Fund.