JLS star joins charity at their 10 year anniversary event at the House of Lords

JLS star Oritsé Williams recently joined supporters of the UK-based international development charity, Carers Worldwide, at an event held at the House of Lords to celebrate the first ten years of the charity’s life.

Oritsé, a former young carer himself, caring for his mother when he was a child, has just been appointed the Commonwealth Young Carer Champion. He is passionate about supporting young carers and advocating for them to be recognised and supported and their voices to be heard.

One of my biggest frustrations in life, is no matter how hard I fight for it, or how much I try to campaign for change, young carers just seem to constantly be forgotten about 💔 in so many areas where they deserve to have a platform for their voices to be heard.#YoungCarers 💫

— Oritsé Williams (@Oritse) May 6, 2023

Oritsé spoke at the event, which was hosted by Baroness Manzila Pola Uddin, he said:

“This is a cause that people don’t talk about, but that affects so many people. It’s amazing to see a movement there to help and support people and I’m very engaged with what Carers Worldwide is doing to support unpaid carers, including young carers, in South Asia.”

Carers Worldwide was set up by Anil and Ruth Patil. Their mission is to achieve recognition of the role of unpaid family carers in India, Nepal and Bangladesh and to transform the lives of carers, their families and their communities through their Carers Worldwide Model. They were inspired to set up the charity based on their work in the villages of India and seeing first-hand the stigma and hardship facing carers of people with disabilities and mental illness. When they became carers themselves for their daughter with Downs’ Syndrome, they knew they wanted to do something to transform the lives of these unpaid carers.

To mark the charity’s 10-year anniversary, Carers Worldwide commissioned MzN International to undertake a thorough review of their impact over the past 10 years, together with an investigation into the Social Return on Investment of the Carers Worldwide Model.

The review found that for every £1 invested, the Carers Worldwide Model generates £7.79 of social and material return.

At the event held in the House of Lord’s River Room, Carers Worldwide launched its strategic plan for the next three years to 2025.

Anil Patil, Carers Worldwide Founder and Executive Director commented:

“We are so pleased that Oritsé was able to join us and share his passion for supporting young carers around the world. His desire to fight for their recognition and support is inspiring and we look forward to working with him in the future.

“Over the past decade, Carers Worldwide has had a profound impact, transforming the lives of nearly 150,000 unpaid carers and family members across three countries India, Nepal and Bangladesh through our grassroots initiatives and advocacy for policy change. While our tenth year has been momentous, our work and journey must continue. We remain committed to our vision of a world where every carer is valued and their needs are met.”

Baroness Uddin commented:

“Unpaid carers remain invisible without any complaint – all they want is to care for someone they love dearly. We must strive for a future where support for carers becomes an inherent part of society. I urge you to join us in lifting up the voices of carers.”

Jonathan Freeman, MBE, Carers Worldwide Chair of Trustees commented:

“Demands on unpaid carers are growing worldwide, but particularly in low- and middle-income countries where Carers Worldwide operates. I’ve seen the life-changing impact on families of the Carers Worldwide Model: it addresses the needs of carers, lifting them to the level of policymakers so they’re not invisible and forgotten. Many of us understand the joys and struggles of caring for a loved one. It is tough but with the right support, it can be highly rewarding. We must ensure that unpaid family carers are recognised, supported and valued.”