Ontex Partners with Grace Cares to Launch ‘Carer Connect’: A New Initiative to Support the Nation’s Unpaid Carers

Ontex, a leading global provider of personal hygiene products, is proud to partner with Grace Cares. They are looking to launch Carer Connect a new initiative dedicated to understanding and supporting the millions of unpaid carers across the UK.

At the heart of Carer Connect is a nationwide consultation, led by Vicki Marshall. Vicki recently joined Grace Cares in a newly created part-time role, part-funded by Ontex. Drawing on over two decades of NHS experience and a personal passion for community wellbeing, Vicki has led both a wide-reaching survey and a series of face-to-face listening sessions with unpaid carers. She has also reached out to local support networks, councils and the Carers Trust.

“Unpaid carers are often the invisible support holding families and communities together,” said Vicki. “Many don’t even recognise themselves as carers, they’re simply looking after someone they love. But they deserve to be recognised, respected, and supported.”

The findings from this consultation are now being compiled into a white paper of recommendations called Caring by Love, not by Pay: Stories and solutions from unpaid carers. This will shape the foundation of Carer Connect’s first support offer later this year.

Unpaid carers play a critical yet under-supported role in society. According to Carers UK, there are an estimated 5.7 million unpaid carers in the UK, contributing care worth around £132 billion annually. That is the equivalent of a second NHS. Yet many go without access to even the most basic support or recognition.

“Partnering with Ontex has given us the opportunity to truly listen,” said Hannah Montgomery, Co-Founder of Grace Cares. “Carer Connect is about more than resources – it’s about building a movement. We want unpaid carers to feel seen, valued, and supported, not left to carry the weight in silence.”

Michelle Garvey, Marketing Manager (UK Healthcare) at Ontex, added:
“Supporting unpaid carers aligns perfectly with our mission to make everyday life easier for people of all generations. Grace Cares brings real innovation and compassion to the table, and we’re proud to stand behind a project that’s both practical and impactful.”

 

Want to Get Involved?

If you’re an unpaid carer, are an organisation who already offers support or signposting to help unpaid carers, or if you’d like to support the Carer Connect initiative, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch via:

📧 hello@grace-cares.com
📞 01543 730189

 

About Grace Cares

Grace Cares is a Lichfield-based not-for-profit making care more sustainable through Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. The organisation rescues care equipment from landfill and resells it affordably, using profits to support older people, care workers, and families through events, hardship grants, and sustainability programmes.

About Ontex

Ontex is a global provider of personal hygiene solutions, offering trusted products in baby care, feminine hygiene, and adult incontinence care. With a commitment to sustainable innovation, Ontex develops quality solutions that improve everyday life while making a positive impact on communities worldwide.

 

Pictured L-R – Hannah Montgomery, Grace Cares – Michelle Garvey, Ontex – Vicki Marshall, Grace Cares