#HumansCare | Katy Styles, Founder of the We Care Campaign

We were very pleased to speak with Katy Styles, founder of the We Care Campaign and co-host of the podcast Care Fully Considered, on which our Development Director, Ruth Patil, was a guest earlier this year.

For Katy, caring for her husband was not just a personal journey but the spark for something bigger: the We Care Campaign, which gives unpaid carers a voice and a platform to demand change.

In this #HumansCare conversation, Katy opens up about what motivated her to start campaigning, her thoughts on the state of caregiving around the world, and her hopes for a future where carers are properly recognised and supported. She also shares practical tips for unpaid carers, and for anyone who wants to stand up and campaign for change.

She has done so much for unpaid carers here in the UK and we are delighted to share her insights with you as part of our #HumansCare series.

Hi Katy! For those that don’t know you, please tell us a bit about yourself and the We Care Campaign.

I’m Katy, a full-time unpaid carer and the founder of We Care Campaign. I care for my husband, my mum and my mother-in-law and like millions of others, I juggle my caring responsibilities with exhaustion and frustration at being invisible in society and politics. We Care was born out of this. It’s a grassroots movement amplifying the voices of unpaid carers directly to decision makers. We bring lived experience into the rooms where decisions are made, making sure carers are not an afterthought but a central part of conversations about social care, benefits, health and our rights.

You’ve said that you founded the We Care Campaign “because I wasn’t content with being invisible: out of sight and of mind, feeling that my identity and voice had been erased.” Was there a particular moment or experience that really pushed you into action?

Yes. There was a moment when I realised that carers like me were carrying this enormous load, often 24/7, yet we were never consulted when policies were being made. I remember contributing to a government consultation which was subsequently scrapped. That sense of being erased, of decisions happening around us while we were left exhausted and unheard, was the spark. I thought: “If I don’t speak up and create a movement that centres carers’ voices, then nothing will change.” Turns out there were many carers feeling exactly the same.

Which of your campaign’s achievements are you most proud of?

It’s hard to pick just one, but I’m proudest whenever carers tell me that they feel visible for the first time because of our work. Tangibly, we’ve had carers’ voices quoted in Parliament, secured national media coverage, triggered debates and created award-winning craftivist projects that bring MPs face to face with the reality of caring. But it’s those moments where an individual carer says “I finally feel heard” that matter most to me.

Campaigning can be tough. What keeps you motivated?

The carers I meet every single day. Their strength, honesty, humour, and determination keep me going. I also think about what would happen if we stopped. Decision makers are often all too ready to overlook us, so the thought of going quiet simply isn’t an option. I keep campaigning because the alternative is silence, and silence means nothing changes.

We Care Campaign focuses on carers in the UK, but unpaid care is of course a global issue. Do you think it’s important for people in the UK to be aware of carers’ struggles beyond our borders?

Absolutely. Caring is universal. Whether you’re in the UK, India, or anywhere else, unpaid carers are propping up systems that would collapse without us. By looking beyond our borders, we learn new approaches, we see common struggles, and we stand in solidarity. I contributed to a series of webinars alongside Chilean carers last year and you know what, we all recognised each other’s struggles and wanted to know how we were creating changes. Carers are holding up the world and it’s vital we recognise that this isn’t just a UK issue, it’s a human one.

Our vision at Carers Worldwide is a world in which every carer is valued and their needs are met. How important do you think it is that we achieve a global change in attitude to the role of caring, to attain this vision?

It’s absolutely essential. Caring isn’t a niche issue; it’s something almost everyone will experience at some point in their life. Yet globally, carers are undervalued, under-supported, and often invisible. Until we shift the way society sees caring, not as private family duty but as something with immense social and economic value, we won’t see the investment, rights, or recognition carers deserve. A global change in attitude is the foundation for everything else.

What advice or encouragement would you give unpaid carers reading this, especially those who may be feeling isolated or unheard?

First: you’re not alone. Even when it feels like the world has forgotten you, there’s a community of carers who get it. Reach out, whether that’s through a local group, online community, or a campaign like ours. Second: your voice matters. It might not feel that way when you’re exhausted and stretched, but carers have power in our stories. Sharing your experience, even in small ways, can change minds and shift attitudes. And finally: please know that your caring is seen, even when it isn’t recognised by the system.

You’ve achieved a lot as a campaigner. What tips would you share with others who want to raise awareness or campaign for change in their own communities?

Start with your lived experience, that's your superpower. Be clear about the change you want to see, and don’t be afraid to start small. Use creativity; sometimes a stitched message or a simple story is more powerful than a long report. Build allies, because campaigning is exhausting on your own. And keep going, even when you feel ignored. Change is slow but it does happen.

If you could imagine a better future for unpaid carers, both here in the UK and around the world, what would it look like?

It would be a future where carers are supported, where carers don’t have to fight for everything they receive and then have to keep fighting to retain it. Where financial security isn’t stripped away by caring, where health systems recognise carers as partners not extras, and where employers understand that caring and working can and should go hand in hand. Globally, it would mean every society has structures in place so that caring doesn’t mean losing your voice, your income, or your identity.

What one change would you most like to see in the next five years?

I’d like to see proper financial recognition for carers. In the UK, that means reforming Carers Allowance so it’s fit for purpose. So there’s no more punishing carers for caring. It’s long overdue.

And finally…what one thing would you take with you if you were stranded on a desert island?

Probably my sewing kit! Craftivism has become such a big part of my life, and I find stitching both calming and a way of expressing myself. Plus, if I’m stuck on an island, I might as well make something beautiful while I’m waiting to be rescued.