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ST THOMAS' EVE
Our annual St Thomas' Eve Charity Appeal is influenced by our historic traditions. St Thomas' Eve was once the day The Company distributed charity to Clothworkers in need. Today, all members of the Freedom and Livery are invited to support a fundraising appeal for a charitable organisation chosen by the Master.
This year, we are supporting the Carers Trust.
ABOUT THE CARERS TRUST
Carers Trust is dedicated to improving the lives of unpaid carers across the UK. An unpaid carer is anyone providing unpaid support to a family member or friend with an illness, disability, mental health issue, or addiction.
The Trust works with more than 130 local carer organisations across England, Wales and Scotland to provide funding, support, and innovative programmes while raising awareness and influencing policy.
An estimated seven million people in the UK are currently unpaid carers, and 3 in 5 of us will become one at some point. Caring can significantly impact health, finances, and life opportunities. With fewer services available, many carers are being pushed to breaking point. Alongside exhaustion, carers face growing financial insecurity – more than 40% have had to give up paid work, one in four reports cutting back on food, and nearly two-thirds are worried about affording energy bills.
The Carers Trust is a registered charity (1145181).
DOUBLING YOUR DONATION
The Clothworkers' Company will MATCH-FUND all member donations (doubling your donation and maximising your impact).
By donating to the St Thomas' Eve Charity Appeal, you can double the amount of your gift, and together we can maximise the impact of your generosity.
WHY GIVE TO THE CARERS TRUST?
To help carers shoulder the difficult financial situations they often find themselves in, the Trust has increased its funding for the Carer Funds programme. The programme provides urgent grants to carers aged 16+ for household items, breaks, courses, digital equipment and transport costs (grants are distrubuted through a network of local carers’ services). However, demand continues to rise and outstrip the Trust's available resources.
Your help to fund these essential grants could provide much-needed support to a carer like Jackie who received a grant for a break away with her disabled son and said:
My son and I have had the worst three years of our lives ... It was very hard to find anyone who could help us ... We are both exhausted, and this break will be life-changing for us. I cannot thank you enough for what you do … Your support really makes such a difference to people like us who often fall through the system and are forgotten about."
Or Rima, who cares for her partner who has had a stroke. Rima was awarded a grant for a washing machine last December, easing some of her stress at Christmas time:
The grant provided us with a much-needed washing machine at a time when funds were non-existent. We were dealing with a number of issues following my partner’s stroke, I was struggling doing two jobs and looking after two children whilst also caring for my partner as the stroke left him permanently blind. I cannot thank you enough for this little bit of help that has made our lives easier."
Donations of any amount are gratefully received. Here's some more information on how your gift could help an unpaid carer in need at this time:
• £10 could fund a cinema voucher to enable a young adult carer to have a short break from their demanding caring role
• £30 could provide a carer in financial hardship with a heated blanket to keep warm in winter
• £50 could fund an air fryer so a carer can cook meals quickly and easily, whilst saving on energy bills
• £100 could fund a tablet for an isolated carer, enabling them to communicate online with family and friends
• £200 could fund a fridge-freezer so a carer can store medication for the person they care for and batch cook and freeze meals to save precious time in their day
• £300 could provide a carer with a washing machine so they don’t have to make time-consuming and expensive trips to the launderette
• £400 could pay towards the cost of a family holiday for parent carers and their children, enabling them to take a much-needed break and build happy memories together