Unpaid carers fight for a break with protest from their own kitchens

As Parliament empties for summer and school gates close, a different kind of out-of-office message hit Westminster – broadcast not from the streets but from the homes of Britain’s unpaid carers.

Partnering with Uncommon Creative Studio and Carers Trust, a new protest staged entirely online brought raw, everyday stories of caregiving right to the steps of power.

With 44% of unpaid carers currently receiving no government-backed respite support, the campaign spotlights a reality often ignored: these key workers don’t get holidays. Or even a break.

Instead of marching on Parliament, carers protested with placards from bedrooms, living rooms, and kitchens – declaring what they’d do with just a little time off.

Their messages, ranging from wanting a lie-in to catching a film, were streamed live on giant LED screens in Westminster.

Duncan Clark, creative at Uncommon and a part-time carer himself, says the campaign “demands Government attention at a time when it feels like the whole country is getting a break, apart from them.”

MP Jessica Brown-Fuller raised the protest in Parliament within hours, prompting the Health Secretary Wes Streeting to call it “a powerful protest” and “a reminder of the challenges carers face.”

Carers Trust CEO Kirsty McHugh didn’t hold back: “Successive governments have depended on unpaid carers to provide social care on the cheap.”

The campaign, backed by actor and Carers Trust ambassador Greg Wise (who cared for his late sister), has already made noise across national media from BBC to The Guardian.

And while the campaign might have launched from behind closed doors, it’s giving voice to a community that’s long been left unheard.

To back the petition demanding proper respite support for England’s unpaid carers, visit carers.org/protest.

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