Leading carer charities to form new organisation

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Crossroads Care have today announced their intention to create a new carers charity that will provide support, information, advice and services for the millions of people caring at home for a family member or friend.

The two charities have been in detailed negotiations for the past 18 months and, subject to the remaining formal and regulatory steps, the new charity will be operational from 1 April 2012, with a public launch in the summer.

Crossroads Care and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers have a strong history of working together, with a number of jointly funded posts and a range of successful fundraising and policy campaigns.

The new charity, which is yet to be named, will build on the experience and expertise of its two founder charities to work towards its vision of a world where the role and contribution of unpaid carers is recognised and they have access to the quality support and services they need to live their own lives.

Andrew Cozens, former Vice-Chair at The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, has been appointed as Chair of the new charity. Mark Currie joins the board as Treasurer, a role he has been carrying out at Crossroads Care for the past two years. Recruitment of a Chief Executive for the new charity is now underway.

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, has agreed to be President of the new charity, a role she has held at The Trust since it formed in 1991.

Commenting on the announcement, Andrew Cozens said: “We are delighted that The Princess Royal will be President of the new charity, which continues her long support for carers.

“Both of the founder charities place carers and carers support at their heart and this will be at the core of the new organisation. The work undertaken by Crossroads Care and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is complementary and they have a well known and respected track record of working together.

“While both are doing great work independently in supporting carers, it became apparent that so much more could be achieved, both now and in the future, if the two came together to create a new charity.

“Doing so will give us a single, stronger voice with which to raise greater awareness of the issues that carers face, as well as the money needed to sustain existing, and develop new, services for carers.”

Both charities’ networks will continue to provide support to carers under their local brands, and are not expected to merge locally as a result of the national merger.