Carers Trust: Protest From Home

As MPs head off on their summer recess, and school holidays begin, exhausted unpaid carers from across the country have come together to fight for their right to respite care, in a first-of-its-kind protest outside Parliament created in partnership with Uncommon Creative Studio and Carers Trust. With more than two fifths of unpaid carers (44%) currently accessing no UK Government support to respite care - some time off which could be anything from a few hours’ break to taking a holiday — this cohort of forgotten key workers have been left with no choice but to stage a protest from their homes, while simultaneously caring for their loved ones. Holding placards from their kitchens and living rooms that reveal what they’d do if they were able to take some much-needed time off - from a lie-in to a girls night out to a holiday - showing its the things we take for granted that unpaid carers miss most. Their rallying cries were streamed on huge LED screens outside government buildings. And the protest caught the attention of MPs, with the issue brought up by MP Jessica Brown-Fuller hours later in the Houses of Parliament with the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care Wes Streeting remarking on the scene as 'a powerful protest that so visibly reminds us of those unable to leave their loved ones to protest in person - a reminder of the challenges carers face.' Unpaid carers from all walks of life - including a 14-year-old caring for his mother in Eastbourne, and 62-year-old caring for three of her family members in Merseyside - have joined the virtual protest outside Parliament yesterday, with their rallying cries blasted across Westminster, and passers-by given an intimate glimpse into their daily lives via footage on the LED screens. The initiative has been created by Uncommon Creative Studio, and is backed by leading charity Carers Trust. Also supporting the campaign is actor and ambassador for Carers Trust Greg Wise, who has had first hand experience as a former live-in carer for his sister Clare.