Our supporters
Our celebrity supporters are able to help raise the plight of unpaid carers and the profile of The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, so that many more of the six million carers in the UK come forward and receive the help that is available.
We are very grateful for the support we receive and would like to thank the following:
Pam Ferris
Actor Pam Ferris is best known for her starring roles as Ma Larkin in the Darling Buds of May, Laura Thyme in Rosemary & Thyme, Miss Trunchbull in Matilda and Aunt Marge in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
She recently played Smithy’s mother in Gavin & Stacey.
As well as having personal experience of being a carer, Pam is a leading campaigner for carers and has supported The Trust for a number of years.
Pam became a Vice President of The Trust in July 2004.
The Saturdays
Pop-group The Saturdays made their recording debut in 2008 and their album Chasing Lights produced four top 10 singles on the UK singles chart.
Young carers were delighted to find that The Saturdays were among some of the famous faces that joined them in the festivities of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's annual Christmas children's party at 11 Downing Street in aid of The Trust. The children, who care for a parent or sibling who is sick or disabled, sang and danced with the girls who helped to give them an unforgettable day out.
Lynda Bellingham
Lynda Bellingham is a well-known figure in most British homes after having appeared on our television screens as the Oxo mum. Other prominent roles include All Creatures Great and Small, Second Thoughts and Faith in the Future. Most recently, she has joined the panel on Loose Women.
Lynda, who has cared for a family member, has supported The Trust in many ways.
Dick & Dom
Kids TV presenters Richard McCourt ‘Dick’ and Dominic Wood ‘Dom’ presented the BAFTA award-winning CBBC show Dick and Dom in da Bungalow.
Both entertained many young carers at the 11 Downing Street Christmas party in aid of The Trust in 2009. Richard also supports national Carers Week.
Sheila Hancock
With an acting career spanning over forty films, as well as stage and television appearances, Sheila has now added working alongside The Princess Royal Trust to her busy schedule.
Sheila supported the Simplyhealth Caring Awards in 2008.
Nigel Havers
Television, film and theatre actor Nigel Havers is probably best known for his BAFTA-nominated role as Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire.
He has now taken on the role of Trust ambassador and is using his own experiences to reach out to other unpaid carers.
Nigel has recently signed a letter to the editor for Pontin's Breaks for Carers 2008 held during Carers Week and was interviewed for a Woman’s Weekly article in 2009 about carers.
Claire King
Bad Girls and Emmerdale star Claire King has cared for a family member and so understands the pressures of being an unpaid carer.
Claire supported The Trust in 2007 by presenting a film for the This Morning Care for Carers Appeal. She discovered how the charity really has become a lifeline for an elderly carer from Harrogate who looks after his wife with Alzheimer’s.
Billy Boyd
Hollywood star Billy Boyd, best known as Pippin in Lord of the Rings, knows at first hand someone who is involved with caring for a relative.
He wanted to get involved because “people don't really talk about it”.
Amongst the activities that he has kindly carried out for The Trust, Billy has not only launched The Trust’s Capital Sevens tournament, but has also spoken of The Trust’s work in Scottish national newspaper The Scotsman.
Ian Rankin
Edinburgh-based author Ian Rankin is one of the best-selling crime writers in the United Kingdom, best known for the widely acclaimed Inspector Rebus novels.
He feels he owes part of his success to his son who suffers from a rare genetic disorder and says his writing developed through the anger and frustration that he felt with his son’s condition.
Ian is enthusiastic about helping children with special needs and their carers and as such has supported The Trust by attending fundraising event Dakota Ladies Lunch in 2007.
