A carer is anyone who cares, unpaid, for a friend or family member who due to illness, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction cannot cope without their support (Carers Trust). Carers are different from care workers, who are paid professionals.

Supporting a friend or family member in this way can be extremely tough and comes with a number of challenges which can have a substantial impact on physical and mental health. Over the past year mental health has received much attention and rightly so, but what has maybe been neglected is the role of unpaid carers in supporting people with these illnesses, and the impact this in turn then has on their mental health. Therefore to conclude Carers Week 2018, Chris, Risa, Jack, Karen, Ben, Mike and Andy are cycling from London to Paris to raise money for unpaid mental health carers in the London Boroughs of Camden, Kingston and Hillingdon and raise awareness of the amazing job they do which is unseen, unmentioned, but relentless and selfless. All the money raised will directly be spent on therapies such as counselling to restore health, happiness, a sense of self. By recognising unpaid carers in this way, they will hopefully continue to do such an essential job for the people they support, their families, and the wider society.

Please help our unsung heroes. Show carers we care.