Carers Trust marks 50 years of caring for carers at special Old Bailey reception

Carers Trust held an event tonight in the Grand Hall of London’s Old Bailey to mark fifty years since the setting up of the UK’s first ever carer organisation. The reception also highlighted the incredible work undertaken over the last five decades by local carer organisations to support millions of unpaid family carers across the UK.

The story began when Crossroads Care was set up after a storyline in the popular Crossroads TV programme drew attention to unpaid family carers and their need for support and a break from their caring role. The Crossroads Care Scheme grew significantly over the decades before merging with the Princess Royal Trust for Carers in 2012 to form Carers Trust. The merger established the Carers Trust network of local carer organisations that now covers most of the UK.

This evening’s reception brought together colleagues from across Carers Trust’s network of over 120 local carer organisations, supporters, funders, trustees and Carers Trust staff past and present.

As well as enjoying the magnificent setting of the Old Bailey, attendees were also able to admire a specially created timeline banner plotting the evolution of carer organisations over the last five decades.

Long term supporter of Carers Trust and unpaid carers, Angela Rippon, spoke movingly about her own experience of caring for her mother with vascular dementia. She revealed how difficult it was to deal with the guilt of caring for her mother but not being able to do anything to help improve her condition. Unpaid carers all too often felt forgotten despite everything they do, she said, and it was for this reason that she had been so proud to support unpaid carers and Carers Trust over such a long time.

Guests also heard from young carer, Aditya, who spoke about the challenges – but also the privilege -of caring for his ten year old brother who has both non-verbal autism and ADHD.

Tonight’s reception was the first in a series of events running over the next year to mark the incredible work of unpaid carers and the local carer organisations that support them.

You can find out more here about the development of Carers Trust and local carer organisations in the UK here.