I HELPED to look after both my father and my mother when they suffered from dementia, so I know only too well the challenges of caring for someone you love. As well the emotional impact of watching my parents suffer from such a distressing disease, I found it a real struggle just to get the right practical support.

Of course, I am not alone: thousands of people in this area provide unpaid care for a relative, friend or child who is ill, frail or disabled. In fact three in five of us will be carers at some point in our lives, yet the difficulties that carers face often go unrecognised.

This year’s Carers Week, which takes place from 8-14 June, will combat this by recognising and celebrating the contribution made by this 'secret service' of carers, with local and national events. I am calling on all readers who are carers to visit www.carersweek.org to see what’s happening locally and find out more about the help available to them.

Tony Robinson, TV Presenter and actor.