We have a very special guest for the first episode of season two...drumroll please...we're speaking to Sir Ed Davey! He is the Liberal Democrat MP for Kingston and Surbiton, leader of the Liberal Democrats - and importantly for us - a carer and recent author of a book called ‘Why I care: And why care matters’.

Our wide ranging conversation covers his ongoing carer journey, what it has taught him, and the concept of radical honesty in politics.

We talk about why he doesn't like the term 'unpaid carer' and why he thinks a carer-centric strategy is crucial to improving the UK's National Health and Social Services.

You can find his book here and follow him on all his social channels below:

X

https://x.com/EdwardJDavey

https://x.com/LibDems

Bluesky

https://bsky.app/profile/eddavey.libdems.org.uk

https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:5cb5baul4azrgk7rkkgyt64w

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/edwardjdavey/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/libdems/?hl=en

Tik Tok - Lib Dems

https://www.tiktok.com/@libdems

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered, we welcome Minreet Kaur and Sangeeta Bhabra, both journalists, to talk about caring’s PR problem.

We discuss how unpaid carers are portrayed by the media, why some of it is problematic, and what we can do to improve the general public’s perception of unpaid carers and caring in general.

We talk about why the press chooses to portray caring in certain ways, what the best format could be for more well-rounded representation, and how to move beyond the ‘misery Olympics’ we often see in campaigns and on TV.

You can find Minreet at minreet_kaur on instagram, @minkaur5 on X, or Minreet Kaur on LinkedIn. Read her latest work here, here and here

You can find Sangeeta on X @SangeetaITV. Read her latest work here. Watch her documentary here, and explore ITV News' podcast here.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered, we welcome Ruth Patil, the development director of Carers Worldwide, an organisation working with unpaid family carers in the global South.

We discuss Carers Worldwide's important work and how she combines influencing the lives of carers overseas with advocacy work on behalf of parent carers in the UK, while caring for her daughter who has Down Syndrome.

We talk about how important it is to find the commonality in care no matter where in the world takes place, and their huge policy victory in getting a Carers Allowance program set up in the Indian state of Karnataka.*

You can find out more about Carers Worldwide here: LINK (www.carersworldwide.org ) and subscribe to their newsletter here: (LINK https://carersworldwide.org/commit-to-carers?utm_source=emailsig&utm_medium=emailsig&utm_campaign=CommitToCarers )

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

*Carers Worldwide are thrilled to share that since recording this episode, the Government of Karnataka, India, has extended the Carers Allowance to include unpaid carers of those with autism, intellectual disabilities, and complex disabilities such as deaf-blindness, bringing the disability categories included in the allowance to seven. This is another huge milestone for unpaid carers in India, and Carers Worldwide is committed to continuing their advocacy work so that Carers Allowance reaches more carers in more states across India.

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered, we welcome Rory Cellan Jones OBE, former BBC News technology correspondent, podcaster, and author.

We discuss his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis, why he chose to be open about it, and how he views his future needs for care.

We talk about how care and progressive illnesses are portrayed in the media, how AI could help improve the lives of people with Parkinson's disease, and how the arrival of a rescue dog from Romania changed his life.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

You can find out more about Rory Cellan Jones here

You can buy his books here

You can also listen to his (excellent) podcast Movers and Shakers here

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we welcome Cas Holmes, one of the UK’s most renowned textile artists and the author of several books.

We discuss her care, clean, create practice, her illustrious career as an artist, and how her art has helped her cope with being a carer to her partner after he suffered a stroke.

We talk about the power of being creative and how it helps make sense of the world around us. We also explore her use of the Japanese technique called Kintsugi, a traditional repair technique using gold, to show the value of the hardships we go through.

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

You can find out more about Cas Holmes, and buy her books here: https://casholmes.uk/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we speak to Mary-Ann Ochota, a broadcaster and author specialising in anthropology, archaeology, and social history.

We discuss the role of care in human societies, past and present. Mary-Ann takes us on a journey, filled with fascinating examples, describing how caring for one another is a deeply human experience. We also talk about the importance of caring for our planet and the crucial importance of preserving our countryside.

To learn more about Mary-Ann, check out her website here: https://www.maryannochota.com. You can also find her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/maryannochota/?hl=en-gb

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com.

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we speak to Georgie Steele, a parent carer, storyteller, and theatre performer.

We discuss the importance of storytelling and why her theatre show is inspired by a famous children's tale to highlight the ridiculousness of the social care system. We also talk about the importance of caring with a (usually dark) sense of humour, the difference between helpful help and unhelpful help, and the crucial need for the people we care for to have their own voices heard.

To learn more about Georgie and her upcoming performances, check out her Instagram profile here: https://www.instagram.com/georgiestoryteller/ and her Facebook page here:https://www.facebook.com/georgiesteelestory

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com.

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/

In our latest episode of Care Fully Considered we welcome Ruth Hannan, co-founder of Care Full, an organisation that brings together research, advocacy, and participation, to demonstrate what a new, care-centre future could look like.

We discuss why our current social security system is outdated, and not designed for the realities of today's world. Why bold concepts are needed to create change, and the power of focusing on what good looks like when starting a care revolution!

In this episode, Ruth offers us a glimpse into what a new economy and society could look like - one that would enable all of us to live well, no matter our background or circumstance.

To learn more about Care Full , visit their website here: https://carefulleconomy.co.uk/ and check out their X profile here: https://x.com/caref_ll

You can get in touch with them by emailing them at: hello@carefull.uk

For any inquiries or to suggest future guests, please email us at: wearecarers@gmail.com. Until next time!

For more information on the We Care Campaign, visit us on: https://wecarecampaign.org.uk/ and to find out what being an unpaid carer is really like, read Laura’s blog here: https://numbereighteeninthecorner.blog/