1 in 5 people in Scotland have caring responsibilities that affect their daily life. And this number is growing. Over 160,000 people in Scotland take on an unpaid caring role each year. In fact, 3 in 5 of us will be carers at some point in our lives.

Unpaid carers are people of any age who are supporting someone who needs help to manage a disability or a long-term condition that affects their physical or mental health. The effect this can have on a carer’s own health and financial situation can be devastating.

Despite how common unpaid caring is, there are huge numbers of unpaid carers who do not recognise their status, sometimes despite having caring responsibilities for many years. They might see it as ‘just something a daughter or husband does’. You will no doubt know someone who is a carer, whether they recognise it themselves or not.

VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian) supports over 10,000 carers each year in Edinburgh and Midlothian. We offer tailored services to address each carer’s needs, with the aim of preventing carers from reaching crisis point.

By agreeing to undertake a challenge to raise funds for VOCAL, you will be positively impacting the lives of unpaid carers across Edinburgh and Midlothian. To find out more, please contact [email protected]

Thank you.