Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal joins Carers Trust for a special reception

Carers Trust was delighted to be joined last night by our President, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, for a reception at 10 Carlton House Terrace in central London.

The reception was a particularly special occasion as it marked the first opportunity for Carers Trust to bring together key supporters to thank them for donating so generously to support unpaid carers throughout the pandemic.

The evening also offered an opportunity for the unpaid carers at the reception, alongside Carers Trust staff, trustees and supporters, to celebrate 50 years since the setting up of the first local carer support service in the UK. The story began when Crossroads Care was set up after a storyline in the popular Crossroads TV series drew attention to unpaid family carers and their need for 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.

Addressing guests at last night’s reception, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal thanked our supporters for their commitment to unpaid carers and reflected on how their generosity has made such a difference to the lives of unpaid carers. She also reflected on the vital importance of funding  to make it possible for carers to enjoy much-needed respite breaks away from the responsibilities of their caring role.

Guests also heard from 20 year-old young adult carer, Holly Cobb, who spoke passionately about her caring role for her younger sister who has cerebral palsy, as well as sight loss and epilepsy. Holly spoke movingly about her commitment to caring and the need to provide even more support for unpaid carers so they can live fulfilled lives alongside their caring role.