Unpaid Carers - Lived Experiences & Support Gaps

Journalism is hard. It always has been. It may come as a surprise that much of the journalism I do is in my own time and, often, unpaid. This isn't a feel-sorry-for-me post. Over the past few months, I've found myself frustrated that I haven't produced another major piece of work like I did last year. But then I reminded myself: that piece took seven months. Seven months of research, conversations, photography, writing, editing and, most importantly, building trust. I've realised I've been measuring progress by what I've published rather than the work I've actually been doing. I'm sitting on a lot of material. There are smaller stories within it that deserve to be told, alongside bigger pieces that simply need time. I'm doing this around working 30 hours a week, so progress isn't always as quick as I'd like. But I keep doing it because I care. I care about the people who trust me with their experiences. I care about unpaid carers whose stories are too often overlooked. And I want this work to contribute, even in a small way, to change. Because if we stop talking about these issues, documenting people's experiences and challenging what isn't working, those conversations can disappear. This isn't easy, and it probably never will be. But I still believe it's worth doing. So, if you're an unpaid carer, work with carers, know an organisation I should be speaking to, or think there is an area of care that isn't getting enough attention, I'd really like to hear from you. Please comment, message me or email [email redacted]. And please share this with anyone whose voice or experience should be part of the conversation. #UnpaidCarers #Carers #Caregiving #SocialCare #AdultSocialCare #CarersRights #LivedExperience #CareResearch #HealthAndSocialCare #Journalism #VisualJournalism #FreelanceJournalism