Championing Social Care’s Care Home Open Week will feature a cycle relay for the first time this year.

Care Home Open Week, which will run from  26 June to 2 July, will include a Great British Care Cycle Relay which will travel from North to South, visiting care homes along the way.

The relay will involve care teams, suppliers, friends and supporters, along with some able residents, cycling short routes between each participating care home. They will pass on a travelling baton to reach a landmark destination in London.

Care Home Open Week aims to  encourage communities to engage with care home residents and the care professionals that care for them. Homes will be encouraged to show off their facilities, activities and services, showcase career opportunities and promote community support and volunteering.

Other activities taking place include Thank You Day on 2 July, led by The Utley Foundation’s Music for Dementia. The day will include musical activities focusing on the unsung and often unseen army of carers.

1,750 care homes have signed up to participate in the event, with more than 4,000 homes expected to participate. Forty MPs are already planning visits to local care homes. Virgin Money, Civitas Investment Management and Christie & Co are sponsoring the event as Headline Partners.

Niharika Noakes, Championing Social Care director, said: “Last year’s Care Home Open Week really succeeded in highlighting the incredible value of the social care sector to society, and the special relationships between care homes, residents and local communities. We’re excited about making Care Home Open Week 2023 even more successful than previous years, and are targeting record numbers of homes across the country participating and even more MP visits.”

The 2022 event received record engagement from care homes and MPs, with 2,400 care homes taking part and 105 MPs and ministers attending a local care home during the week.

Interested participants can register for Care Home Open Week 2022 by visiting https://championingsocialcare.org.uk