What is Carefree?
Carefree is a multi-award-winning digital charity dedicated to supporting full-time unpaid carers. The charity marries technology with community spirit to solve critical challenges:
- They believe that caring for those who care is essential for the collective wellbeing of our society
- Their goal is for every full-time unpaid carer to have access to a short break
- Their vision is a world in which sharing resources for the common good becomes the norm.
Carefree bring the business and social sectors together to support the needs of unpaid carers by:
- Inviting Hospitality Partners to donate accommodation with full control over the inventory
- Enabling Community Partners to refer registered carers and amplify the impact of their service
- Providing carers with access to breaks in hotels and holiday cottages throughout the UK
"With every break, we move one step closer to our goal."- Carefree.
How it works
There are hundreds of potential breaks away listed on Carefree’s Breaks Hub. After registering, you can browse available options and submit a request for a specific hotel on specific dates. If available, a confirmation email will be sent to you and you’re all set to go!
New hotels and dates are added all the time, so if you can’t quite find what you’re looking, check back in in a few weeks.
Accommodation
Hotels donate 1-2 night breaks, plus breakfast where possible for a carer and their companion (adult or child). Twin or Double room.
Carefree are currently seeking new partnerships for longer stays that will become available in due course.
Costs
There is no charge for the accommodation, but you are responsible for all other costs (transport, food, travel insurance etc.) and there’s a £25 admin fee to help with the cost of operating our charity.
Carefree
The short breaks initiative is designed to give you some time away from your caring responsibilities. You are welcome to take a companion with you but not the person that you care for. If you want to travel alone, that’s fine too.
Making a Break Request
After you have selected a break of your choice and paid the admin fee Carefree will do a final booking confirmation check with the hotel. Occasionally a hotel will reject a booking request. When this happens we will let you know, and then you will be able to request another break.
Eligibility
To qualify for a break you must be:
- Aged 18 or over
- Full-time unpaid carer (30+ hours per week)
- Able to arrange interim care
- Able to pay for extras (admin fee, transport, food, travel insurance etc.)
Please note: only one carer per household can sign up with Carefree, so if e.g. you and your partner both care for your child, only one of you should self-refer. (You will, however, be able to bring a guest, which could be your partner, along with you to your break).