An unpaid Carer is anyone, including children and adults who looks after a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and cannot cope without their support. The care they give is unpaid.

3 in 5 of us will be a Carer at some point in our lives.

A Carer can enter their journey gradually over time, dementia for example or suddenly due to a life changing incident.  No two journeys, nor their duration are ever the same.

All journeys though are likely to involve, health and social care, employment, family relationships, forms and their bureaucracy, feeling alone, forgotten and frustrated.

However, no one ever need be alone on their journey as Carers Organisations; whose reason for existence is to support unpaid Carers on their journey, exist everywhere in the UK. More and more people, through Carer Champion training in the community and workplace, are becoming aware of unpaid Carers and directing them to support.

There will be stairs to climb, slides to drag you down and guidance on how to make the journey more rewarding. You need never be alone on your journey as we are here to support you.