Why King’s?
I was drawn to King’s excellent reputation and its fantastic Geography Department. Geography is so interesting because it borrows from so many other subjects, bringing different elements together to explain the world in a unique way. I love the versatility across physical, human, social and economic geography.
What’s your favourite memory of King’s?
My favourite memories are of living in Wellington Hall and studying at King’s, where I made lifelong friends and I met my husband.
I had some amazing and dynamic lecturers, including Professor Keith Hoggart, whom I’m still in touch with, and Professor Denys Brunsden OBE.
The field trips really broadened my mind. We went to Ireland, which was my first time on a plane. For my dissertation, I travelled to Norway to look at glaciation, which is still very relevant in our world today. While at King’s, I did the Associateship of King’s College (AKC). It was a completely different dimension to geography. Having the chance to think about theology and reflect on such a broad range of ideas was brilliant. I still reflect on what it taught me.
What’s a key lesson you learnt at King’s?
My degrees gave me a huge range of skills. The geography I studied was very aware of climate change, changing physical environments and the impact this has on people. Although I don’t use this knowledge in my work, my time at King’s has given me take a long-sighted and inter-connected view of the world.
You’re the Director of Policy & Public Affairs at Carers UK. How did your journey into this sector begin?
After King’s, I had a part-time job with the National Federation of Women's Institutes (WI) as a Policy and Public Affairs Assistant. This involved working on a lot of social and environmental issues.
I also worked part-time at an investment bank, so I was between two very different environments. Both employers offered me a full-time job, and I chose the charity sector over the City. This has given me a clear purpose: improving the world around us, both in terms of people and the physical environment.
I was part of a groundbreaking WI project looking into the impact of caring in rural areas, which grounded my interest, and I later moved to Carers UK.
My work involves talking to unpaid carers about their experiences and advocating for change. My work spans policy, research, parliamentary, media and campaigns covering from income tax to pensions, health and social care and benefits. I try to find solutions to improve carers’ lives whilst also making sure carers are aware of their rights.
Last year, you received a CBE for your work in championing unpaid carers…
I was surprised and humbled to receive it. Caring is so important because it’s universal. No one can predict when they might become a carer. You may have a child with a disability who needs lifelong care. Your family member or partner may have an accident that results in them needing care. It’s something most of us don’t have any choice in.
People give their time and a lot of themselves yet receive very little in return. Around 600 people a day give up their jobs to take on full-time caring responsibilities. As a result, 1.2 million carers are living in poverty and are more likely to be in poor health. Despite this, the Carer’s Allowance is the lowest financial benefit of its kind.
Carers deserve the same opportunities as anybody else. The state needs to acknowledge this and rise to these challenges in a stronger and more resilient way.
What’s been your proudest career moment?
I’m proud of giving a voice to people who feel invisible. There are many highlights but starting with the Prime Ministerial 1999 National Carers Strategy.
Recently, we were able to give carers a platform to talk about the Carer’s Allowance overpayment scandal. I’m also proud of working towards carer’s rights in employment. Employees in Great Britain now have a legal right to five days of unpaid Carer’s Leave per year. We would like this to be paid, but it has still made a difference and brought new rights to three million people. I’m very conscious however, how much still needs to be achieved, not least improving carers’ incomes, breaks and rights at work.
What’s been the biggest challenge?
Caring still feels invisible and it’s not properly understood. It’s a very private matter and we’re trying to make it public. It's quite often invisible in the workplace, where people may feel reluctant to raise the topic.
There's still a societal challenge in getting people to identify themselves as unpaid carers. They see themselves primarily as a partner, a wife, husband, son, daughter, sibling, niece, nephew or a friend.
What’s next?
With an ageing population, we need to see increases with healthy life expectancy, making sure people have fuller working lives and ensuring people can juggle work alongside their personal lives.
We’re excited about the potential of AI and technology to improve people’s lives, but only if it is used in the right way.
A priority at Carers UK is pushing for better funded social care. This is fundamental for allowing families and parents with caring responsibilities to work.
Any advice for alumni wanting to follow in your footsteps?
The voluntary sector is a great place to work and very creative. If you want to pursue public policy, doing a combination of work experience and voluntary experience is a good starting point.
Get involved in your local community and focus on a specific area. It can take a long time to change things, but it's important to keep going and keep hold of your vision and goal.