Carefree provide short breaks to unpaid carers to help improve their mental and physical wellbeing, enabling them to continue to care. In the UK, 80% of home care is unpaid, provided by a hidden workforce of 9 million remarkable individuals, 2 million of whom provide full-time care. Their contribution to the public sector is worth a staggering £132 billion each year. Without adequate support, caring for someone takes its toll and the majority of carers develop health problems of their own – in a survey of carers 85% had not taken time off to look after themselves in over a year and 46% had not taken a break for 5 years.

How Carefree makes an impact

Carefree’s technology platform connects carers to accommodation across the UK donated by the hospitality sector out of excess capacity. There are approximately 1 million unsold hotel rooms in the UK each week. Carefree’s groundbreaking model enables accommodation providers to see surplus inventory not as a loss but as an opportunity, turning empty rooms into priceless short breaks for those in need of respite. Their goal is for every full time unpaid carer to have access to a short break. 98% of carers report improved wellbeing as a result of a break and 86% would not have taken a break without the help of Carefree.

Where Fredericks comes in

Carefree needed funding to help cover operating costs and new staff hires as it continues to grow its earned income streams – with an ambition to become fully self sustaining. Fredericks were able to support Carefree with £150,000 of funding through a £50,000 revenue participation agreement and £100,000 blended finance from the Thrive Together Fund (£25k grant/ £75k loan). Carefree’s significant potential to scale it’s impact and increase the multiple of value of accommodation mobilised:cost were important factors in our investment decision.