Carers Trust
Improving the wellbeing of unpaid carers
Pears Foundation’s commitment to supporting unpaid carers as one of Carers Trust’s most valued and longstanding funders makes a significant difference to the lives of carers across the UK. Their generous grants enable Carers Trust to have a long term impact on the lives of unpaid carers and the work of Carers Trust and our Network Partners. We are grateful for their passion for unpaid carers, their close interest in what we do, and the trust they demonstrate in allowing us to use their funding where it is most needed and where it can make a real impact on the lives of carers.Kirsty McHugh,
Chief Executive Officer
Carers are the backbone of society, working tirelessly, and often without recognition, to support loved ones and family members in need, and yet they themselves are so often left without support. We are proud to support Carers Trust in its efforts to improve the wellbeing of carers throughout the UK.Sir Trevor Pears CMG
Partner since: 2002
Funding invested: £5.67m
- Core: Unrestricted funding; support for merger; mentoring for Network CEOs
- Project: Young carers website; Policy work; Direct grants for carers; DCMS Community Match Challenge
Pears Foundation is committed to improving and sustaining wellbeing. We fund partners who provide support to families facing challenging circumstances, from mental health to special educational needs and disability, to extreme poverty and social disadvantage.
There are around 7 million carers in the UK and this number is rising. Three out of five people will be a carer at some point in their lives. Caring can have positive and rewarding aspects, but it can also leave many carers in need of support and have a serious impact on their finances, health (both physical and mental), personal relationships and work.
Carers Trust works to improve support, services and recognition for anyone living with the challenge of caring, unpaid, for a family member who is ill, frail, disabled, or has mental health or addiction problems.
The Trust supports carers in their homes and in their local communities, through the provision of replacement care and with information, advice, support, practical help and access to much-needed grants and breaks.
Carers Trust operates through a UK-wide network of independent local services for carers of all ages, supporting people with any condition.
Pears Foundation’s relationship with Carers Trust goes back more than twenty years, making it one of the Foundation’s longest partnerships. We originally funded the Princess Royal Trust for Carers which merged with Crossroads Care in 2012 leading to the creation of the Carers Trust.
Our relationship began as a grant for the Princess Royal Trust for Carer’s policy and campaigning work and a website for young carers, and grew over time into a substantial annual core funding grant. Alongside this we also support individual carers and their families by making an annual grant to the Trust’s Direct Grants programme which enables carers to have a break from caring, purchase essential goods such as a washing machine or oven, or learn skills to help them manage the impact of being a carer.
The Carer’s Trust was one of the nine recipients of our DCMS Community Match Challenge funding to help support local communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. £1million was awarded to the Trust for onward funding to its network partners to alleviate carer isolation, explore innovative ways of providing carer respite options and address digital exclusion.