Legacy funding of £50,000 will be used to provide carers in Aberdeen and surrounding areas with crisis support, as Carers Week launches with a report that advises that carers are being “woefully let down by a lack of support”.

Today marks the launch of the campaign week that aims to raise awareness and support for carers in the UK. Lucy Whiteman, development manager at Voluntary Service Aberdeen (VSA) which received the legacy, advises: “Three in five people will be carers at some point in their lives. There are a lot of services to support the people being cared for. But what about supporting the carer when they need it most?”

Struggling carers in the north east of Scotland will be able to apply for funding for anything from laundry services to transport to hospitals, with those in the greatest need of support receiving funding as a priority.

The funding is part of £2.25m bequeathed to charities by wealthy Scottish landowner Nadia Moulton-Barrett after her death in 2010.

It comes at a crucial time for carers, as the Prepared to Care report for Carers Week, which surveyed 2,115 carers UK-wide, finds that a quarter of all carers have taken out a loan or fallen into debt as a result of their caring role. The report calls for greater financial support for carers and a fair and easy-to-navigate welfare system, among its recommendations.

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