24th July 2009
Markel Supporting Carers 24-7
Markel UK Limited, one of the UK’s leading specialist social welfare insurers, took time out on Friday to dedicate their day to supporting The Princess Royal Trust for Carers 24/7 initiative.
The day, 24 July, was selected by the charity to highlight the fact that many carers are never off duty. They can often be caring for people 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
All Markel branches throughout the UK took part with various activities from raffles to dress down days, fancy dress to horse race betting. Staff from each branch visited the local carers’ centre in their area to hand over a cheque for £247. Markel chose the Trust as the good cause it wanted to support in 2007 and so far has raised nearly £40,000 for the charity.
The Markel staff even roped in Managing Director, Steve Carroll, who (reluctantly) volunteered to don a fancy dress costume for the day of the staff’s choosing.
Steve said: “One in three of us will, at some time in our lives, have to care for a loved one – we cannot always plan for this and sometimes it happens overnight. The work done by unpaid carers in the UK is amazing. The fact that it can affect anyone at any time in their lives, even many of our own staff members, is why Markel (UK) Limited chooses to support The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.
“We believe that carers who give so much for others, deserve to be given the help they need to carry on. Everyone at Markel is proud to be supporting the charity – even if is means humiliation for the day!”
Carole Cochrane, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers’ Chief Executive, said: “We really appreciate the time and effort Markel UK Limited’s staff put into the 24/7 initiative. The money they have raised will help carers’ centres all over the UK support unpaid carers and young carers.”
Who do they support?
One in three of us will, at some time in our lives, have to care for a loved one - we cannot always plan for this and sometimes it happens overnight.
The Charity helps people like....
Charlotte is 9 and like most girls of her age is into music, dance and learning all the things you’d rather she didn’t! However unlike the other girls in her class, Charlotte is also a young carer. Her Dad is a paraplegic and also suffers from hydrocephalus. Charlotte's brother, Robert, is also disabled. Charlotte helps her mother dress her father (and is very resourceful when it comes to lifting the legs of a 16 stone man) and supports her brother’s therapy, which is exhausting even for an adult.
Carol hasn’t had a holiday since her daughter Katie was born 18 years ago with severe learning difficulties. She has to be in the same room as Katie to make sure she sleeps and hasn’t had a proper night’s sleep in 18 years. Katie is a very big girl who has to be looked after 24 hours a day and Carol recently had an accident when her daughter fell on her and broke her arm and leg.
Steven, 52, is on a year’s special leave from work to look after his wife, Ann, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He looks after her 24/7 and gets an average of 1½ hours sleep a night as he regularly assists her getting to the bathroom. Steven often thinks about how isolated his life is now. He used to be in an office with 1,500 people, most of whom he knew, but now they rarely visit people because many friends and family don’t understand Ann's condition and are uncomfortable around her.