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Carefree

Transforming vacant rooms into short breaks for carers

Carefree logo
1-20 employees
  • B2C
  • Charity
  • Wellbeing
Farringdon, London, UK

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Company mission

To fuel the future of unpaid caregiving.

Our take

In the UK, there are estimated to be around seven million unpaid carers, yet they are rarely recognised for their frontline role and often lack access to the same support as NHS staff or paid care home workers. Reports indicate that as much as 74% of these carers have experienced burnout since the start of the pandemic, with an additional 64% unable to take any breaks at all.

Carefree is an organisation that recognises the critical need for support and respite for carers who face the risk of burnout. It's addressing this situation by working in collaboration with various hotels across the UK, including five of the largest independent hotel chains. Through its platform, Carefree provides essential respite to unpaid carers, offering them a much-needed break from their demanding responsibilities.

Since November 2021, Carefree has made significant strides in supporting carers, by partnering with over 80 hotels, resulting in the release of approximately 2,000 rooms per month. The impact of this initiative has seen 89% of carers reporting that they couldn't have taken a break without Carefree's support, and 95% seeing improvements in their wellbeing. As the organisation continues to expand, it remains focused on developing a purpose-built technology platform for fostering relationships with various private and public sector partners.

Steph headshot

Steph

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Benefits

  • Generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
  • Christmas period off
  • Access to CODE hospitality app

Company values

  • Creating Shared Value: Our activities should drive a mix of economic and social benefits for all our stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of our organisation and intervention
  • Staying Transparent & Accountable: We prioritise transparency and accountability to our governors and donors over the speed of delivery
  • Flexibility to Drive Delivery: As a small, lean team, punching above our weight means having the freedom to work in a way that feeds our energy, supports our wellbeing and gets the job done
  • Community Commitment: We invest in work to strengthen the wider care sector, innovation and funding ecosystem, to help build a stronger operating environment for all those seeking to catalyse social change
  • Ethical Footprint: Operating in an ethical and sustainable manner is central to the way we do business and represent the interests of caregivers in policy and practice

Leadership

James Ricketts

(Co-Founder)

Previously worked as an Executive Producer at Tag and as an Associate Producer at Pioneer Productions and Pictures. Also worked as the Head of Creative Services at Shilland & Co, as well as a Marketing Director at Stillking Films.

People progressing

Charlotte Newman

Joined the company in 2017 as a Development Director and has since been promoted to Managing Director and CEO.