Spotlight On Our National Garden Scheme Beneficiaries

Helping The Helpers: The Carers Trust

The National Garden Scheme has been supporting the Carers Trust since 1996, having donated over £6.5 million in that time, with £450,000 donated in 2025.

Under the patronage of the Princess Royal, Carers Trust works to transform the lives of the UK’s 7 million carers, partnering with its network of local carer organisations to provide funding and support. Carers Trust’s vision is that unpaid carers are heard and valued, to enable them to live fulfilled lives. These life-changing NGS funds are raised by the gate monies given by our enthusiastic garden visitors nationwide, with carers themselves enjoying free access to our gardens.

The Carers Trust’s local presence came into being in 2013 when Coventry Carers Centre & Coventry Carers merged, becoming Carers’ Trust Heart of England (HOFE), and network partner of the Carers Trust national family. Expressed in the user-friendly HOFE website (www.carerstrusthofe.org.uk/), a valuable range of resources such as benefits entitlement, counselling, and respite is available to carers county-wide, services “that help ensure unpaid carers feel valued, respected and supported in their caring role. We also provide home care services to support loved ones to live independently at home.”

With 2025 marking the 50^th HOFE anniversary, qualified counsellor and CEO of HOFE Claire Dale reveals some thought-provoking statistics. “We have a total of 20,112 active Coventry & Warwickshire carers (including 17,202 Young Carers) who support 23,752 Cared-For’s,” explains Claire. “Our youngest carer is 5 years old, and the oldest active carer is 102 years old.” Their catalogue of responsibilities is a daunting one. “Generally speaking, most of our adult carers will care for someone with dementia, a heart condition or mobility-related concerns. Young Carers predominantly care for people with neurodiverse needs, mental ill health or a physical disability and they will often have care responsibilities for their siblings,” reveals Claire.

Since the age of 7, Sharan (pictured) has cared for her disabled relatives. Assisting daily with healthcare and wellbeing, she supports vulnerable family members living with dementia, epilepsy, blindness and learning disabilities, whilst experiencing her own issues. "One of the challenges I face is peer pressure. As a carer I am responsible for looking after my grandparents, and if something goes wrong, I'll essentially blame myself. I will always make them my priority so when my friends ask me to go out with them or my school asks me to join them for a project, sometimes I'll have to refuse because my caring responsibility comes first.”

Carers Trust HOFE offers an impressive variety of support without which the carer role can become both overwhelming and isolating. One such is the Counselling Service, explains Carers Trust Heart of England 2025 Volunteer of the Year, Viv Robinson. “Many of the carer clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with have conveyed their appreciation of how HOFE services can be a much-needed lifeline. I feel a sense of pride at having the opportunity to volunteer for an organisation that offers so much to the community.”

For details of local NGS Snowdrop Openings, please visit www.ngs.org.uk.

© Lily Farrah

Images NGS / Carers Trust HOFE