Great British Care Awards announce new category for Unpaid Carers

Nominations for Unpaid Carers awards are now being accepted by the Great British Care Awards, looking to acknowledge the role of unsung heroes in the community who, through circumstance, find themselves caring for family or friends full-time.

Charity Carers UK who, along with advanced medical nutrition specialists Nutricia, support the award, estimate there to be around six million people in the UK who have sacrificed their personal lives in order to care for a loved one. The charity also estimates that, without the contribution unpaid carers make to society, the UK’s care costs would increase by an unmanageable £119bn.

Thanking Carers UK and Nutricia for their role, director Lisa Carr said:

‘We are delighted that Carers UK and Nutricia are supporting this special Carer’s Award. The endorsement of such a well-regarded national charity will ensure that this award category gains the high profile it so highly deserves. Without the millions of unpaid carers many of the elderly and vulnerable members of our communities would not be able to remain independent in their own homes. We look forward to receiving the nominations which will doubtless prove to be of an extremely high calibre.’

The deadline for entries is the 14th May 2012, with successful nominations invited to attend one of the nine regional awards held in October and November, with the winners of the regional events gaining a further entry to the Great British Home Care Awards Finals 2013, held in June.

Find out more about the awards and nominations at careawards.co.uk