The Princess Royal has launched a new fund that will provide financial support to enable overworked carers to take a break from volunteering.
The Princess Royal Respite Fund for Carers has been created to secure long-term funding for Carers Trust’s respite services. It aims to raise £3 million over the next three years from a range of donors, including trusts and foundations, major donors, corporate supporters and members of the public.
Launched in conjunction with Princess Anne’s 70th birthday which falls in August, it will provide small grants for 30,000 carers.
Speaking about the project, Princess Anne said she was “delighted” to be able to be a part of something so “incredibly important for carers”.
She said: “As President of Carers Trust, I am delighted with this new initiative. It will raise funds for something I know to be incredibly important for carers – being able to take a break. Taking a break may sound a simple thing. But during my 30-year involvement with Carers Trust, one thing has always struck me when speaking to carers. And that is the importance they attach to having some time out from caring, and what a difference it can make to their health and wellbeing.”
Chair of Carers Trust Board of Trustees, John McLean OBE, explained why the new fund is so important and also thanked Princess Anne for her “unstinting support” which has made the initiative possible.
He added: “As most of us begin to emerge from months of lockdown, many unpaid carers will be staying at home to continue providing round-the-clock care for a loved one without the prospect of even the smallest break. They need our support right now, and that is why Carers Trust is launching the Respite Fund – so we can support more carers to have time to themselves and the breaks they both need and deserve. On behalf of my fellow colleagues and trustees, I would like to thank Her Royal Highness for her unstinting support, which has made the Respite Fund possible.”