As the cost-of-living crisis worsens in the UK, those working in the adult social care sector have been amongst the hardest hit.
In response, the Lincolnshire Care Association (LinCA) has raised £1,500 through charity raffles held at the last three Lincolnshire Care Awards ceremonies and is donating the money to The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC.
The Care Workers’ Charity was founded in 2009 to support current and former care workers with one-off crisis grants.
Since 2020 it has paid out over £5.6 million in grants to 10,350 care workers in need. The charity supports around two million care workers in the UK who care for some of the most vulnerable people in our society with little recognition and often no reward.
Care workers face challenges every day such as loss of income and inconsistent hours, and they lack adequate resources to help them do their job to the best of their ability.
The Chair of LinCA, Melanie Weatherley MBE, said: “Many care workers are under great financial pressures with soaring food, energy, and housing costs, and this is negatively impacting on both their physical and mental health. We want to ensure care workers get the support they need to make ends meet this winter.”
Karolina Gerlich, CEO of The Care Workers’ Charity, said: “We are delighted to have had LinCA supporting our work; care associations have a very meaningful role with care providers in their local areas, and LinCA’s support enables us to connect with those care providers and care workers.
“The money raised by LinCA will make a huge difference to the lives of care workers in the UK and will help to provide crisis grants for care workers in need.
“The CWC is a safety net for care workers and their families who are struggling and might not have the means to support themselves.
“A grant of £500 for a family means they can continue to heat their house over winter or repair their car to ensure they can get to work.
“Our support eases the stress for care workers and helps them to keep caring.”
If you would like to arrange an interview with Melanie Weatherley MBE, please contact Maz Davis at Shooting Star by calling 07719 015121 or emailing [email protected].