HIS Excellency the Lieutenant Governor Adam Wood has visited Crossroads Caring for Carers Isle of Man in recognition of Carers Week 2011 today (Tuesday).

To mark Carers Week 2011 the Lieutenant Governor visited Crossroads venues including Crossroads Carers' Centre in Derby Square, Derby House Nursery and the Social Enterprise and Formal Wear shop.

Jackie Betteridge, the chief executive of Crossroads was delighted by the visit. She said: "It is an honour and a pleasure for His Excellency to pay Crossroads a visit. Crossroads staff are all very proud of the job we do and the clients we help in doing our jobs and for someone else to take interest and really see what we do first hand is exciting.

"Carers Week is a national awareness week when over 700 organisations including carers organisations, other voluntary groups, GP surgeries and private sector companies across the UK join forces to call for the support and recognition that carers deserve.

"It is estimated that there are over 10,000 family and informal carers on the Island but without the support of high profile officials, celebrities and professionals that carers in the UK enjoy, Island carers' plight can go unrecognised by society and the valuable role the Island's carers perform unappreciated. To have this level of local official support has highlighted the job carers do as an important contribution to the community."

This year Crossroads has marked Carers Week with displays made by local school children in several of the doctors surgeries in the Island. Displays can be seen in Kensington, Hailwood, Snaefell, Peel, Ramsey and Southern Group Practice until Sunday.

For more information on the services Crossroads provide including carer respite and services for people with a care need please contact Alex Wilson on 673103 or email mail@crossroadsiom.org.