Carers Trust Launches New Fund To Raise £3 Million for Unpaid Carers

Published on: 24 May, 2021
Updated on: 24 May, 2021

The Carers Trust charity has launched a new fund to provide small grants to approximately 30,000 exhausted unpaid carers so “they can take a much-needed break from the constant demands of their caring role”.

The new fund is named The Princess Royal Respite Fund for Carers and aims to raise £3 million over the next three years from a range of donors, including trusts and foundations, major donors, corporate supporters and members of the public. It also marks the 70th birthday of the Princess Royal in 2020, who is the trust’s president.

The chairman of the trust’s trustees is John McLean OBE, who lives in Worplesdon. He said: “The backbone of our social care in the UK is the unsung unpaid carer, who number approximately seven million and include about one million young carers.

“These individuals have not only been working tirelessly throughout the Covid pandemic, but also in the years leading up to the lockdown and it is for them, that we have created and launched The Princess Royal Respite Fund for Carers.

The chairman of the Carers Trust’s board of trustees, John McLean OBE. Picture from the Carers Trust’s website.

“Lockdown has given those of us who are not carers, an understanding of the issues of isolation, loneliness and lack of wellbeing but with the general opening up, these challenges will largely disappear, however for the unpaid carer, they will continue.

“It is for these full time unsung unpaid carers we are now asking for your support.

“On behalf of my fellow colleagues and trustees, I would like to thank Her Royal Highness for her unstinting support which has made the fund possible.”

The trust says that an ageing UK population has led to a steep increase in demand for social care in the community. It adds that this increase in demand has not been matched by adequate investment in social care, leading to the withdrawal of many essential services for both carers and those they care for. As a result, the amount of time unpaid family carers are having to spend on providing essential care to family members and friends has increased steeply.

Even before Coronavirus, two thirds of carers were caring 50 hours or more per week, says the trust. Lockdown meant they had to spend even more time caring. Unsurprisingly, many unpaid carers are exhausted. They talk of being “burnt out” and “at breaking point” due to the constant need to provide round-the-clock-care.

The need for properly funded respite support for carers has never been more urgent, says the trust, adding that these respite breaks are not holidays – they are a basic necessity, helping unpaid carers recharge and re-energise so they can continue their caring role. But all too often, it’s impossible for unpaid carers to find, or pay for, replacement care so they can take that break – even if it’s for just a few hours.

The Princess Royal is the president of the Carers Trust. Picture from its website.

The Respite Fund For Carers means Carers Trust will be able to significantly increase the number of grants it makes to carers via the Carers Trust’s network of more than 120 local partner services.

It says these grants will have a huge impact on the physical and mental well-being of many more carers, giving them some-much needed time to themselves to re-charge before carrying on providing essential care for their family members and friends.

The Carers Trust’s aims are to give carers a voice and highlight their work to the public. It also campaigns and works with politicians and decision makers to create real change for unpaid carers throughout the UK. It recognises that campaigning is an important and powerful way of influencing change for unpaid carers.

Click here for more details about the new fund on the Carers Trust website.