Awareness events

Awareness events are organised activities or campaigns designed to increase public understanding and knowledge about a specific issue, cause, or community. They aim to inform, educate, and hopefully inspire action or support.  There is usually an intention to reduce stigma, empower and equip children, young people, families, schools, and communities by providing accessible resources and encouraging meaningful engagement on the subject of the event. Awareness events taking place during this month and early next include:

Gloucestershire Carers Hub Active April 

Active April: A Month of support and inspiration

This April, families and unpaid carers across Gloucestershire are invited to join the Carers UK’s national Active April campaign. It is a month dedicated to supporting carers to move more, feel better, and connect with others, along with practical ideas, and accessible ways to build movement into their routine. The campaign also raises awareness of the barriers carers face and provides plenty of opportunities, from walking and yoga to simple indoor activities that can be done at home.

Gloucestershire Carers Hub will be sharing ideas, suggestions and running activities in which carers can be involved.

Join the Movement on 15 April

Join us for Active April and take part in Carers UK Carers Active Together on Wednesday, 15 April. This brand-new nationwide event encourages unpaid carers, organisations, and communities to take part in the biggest day of physical activity this spring.  Gloucestershire Carers Hub will share local sessions and ideas throughout the month. Not registered yet? Call 0300 111 9000 or self‑refer online for free support.

What is Carers Active Together?

The first ever Carers Active Together event will unite unpaid carers, local employers, sports clubs, charities, and community groups across the UK in a shared goal: boosting wellbeing through movement. The day encourages carers to join an activity either in person or online to contribute to a collective total of physical activity hours tracked nationally.

Carers UK will also offer an online activity session on the day, making it easy for unpaid carers to participate from home if that suits their circumstances.

Why it matters

Many unpaid carers find it difficult to be physically active due to limited time, lack of breaks, and the challenges of juggling caring responsibilities. Research shared by Carers UK highlights that carers who do manage to stay active report significant improvements to their physical and mental wellbeing, feeling more positive, less isolated, and more confident.

How you can get involved on 15 April

World Autism Acceptance Month

April 2026

In preparation for World Autism Acceptance Month this month, Gloucestershire's Educational Psychology Service has created a resource to support children and young people at home and school with masking.

Understanding is growing around masking, where an autistic child or young person may seem calm and regulated at school, but at home they may behave differently.  This could include displaying behaviours they have been suppressing such as exhaustion, frustration or distress.  

For more information, please visit the Educational Psychology Service on Gloucestershire’s Local Offer, Support for Families with SEND.

To access the resource on Masking, please visit the Educational Psychology Service pages on World Autism Acceptance Month.

Deaf Awareness Week

Deaf Awareness Week has chosen the Right to understand – Together, we break barriers as a theme for this year's awareness week.

For more information on support for deaf children and young people in Gloucestershire - through Gloucestershire's Community Connector for the National Deaf Children's Society  and Gloucestershire Deaf Association, please visit Gloucestershire's Local Offer, Support for Families with SEND

Mental Health Awareness Week

The Mental Health Foundation has chosen Action as this year's theme because, while awareness is vital, real change comes when action is taken.

For more information on Mental Health services in Gloucestershire and local support for Parent Carers, please visit Gloucestershire's Local Offer, Support for Families with SEND