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The world’s leading researcher into young carers has joined Carers Trust, a leading UK charity for unpaid carers, as its first-ever Ambassador.

Professor Saul Becker, whose own experiences caring for his grandmother as a child inspired three decades of research and work with young carers, has been named as the first Ambassador in Carers Trust’s 29-year history.

Professor Becker, the University of Sussex’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, advises governments, policy-makers and service providers around the world on young carers.

He has led more than 50 research projects as principal investigator, totalling £3 million in external funding. He has also authored 340 publications (including 18 books) and over 210 conference papers during his distinguished career.

Last year Professor Becker, who is also an Academician of the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts as well as a qualified and registered social worker, was named by Universities UK as one of the Nation’s 100 ‘Lifesavers’ whose work is making a life-changing difference.

He said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Carers Trust’s first Ambassador. Carers Trust is the main provider of services and support to unpaid family carers in the UK through its network of carers centres and partners. It supports hundreds of thousands of carers of all ages, including young carers and young adult carers, and campaigns for their recognition and rights.

“So, it’s an honour for me to be given this role, to be a spokesperson for family carers nationally and to have a platform that I can use to speak out for carers. I’m especially pleased, and proud, because Carers Trust has funded a number of my studies, and is one of the first organisations in the world to have recognised and developed services for young carers – a group which has been the focus of my research, writing and campaigning for almost thirty years.”

Welcoming the appointment of Professor Becker as Carers Trust’s first Ambassador, the Chair of Carers Trust’s Board of Trustees, John McLean OBE, said:

“When looking to recruit our first Ambassador, the Carers Trust Board and I were determined to find a national figure of exceptional calibre, able both to speak out passionately on behalf of unpaid carers and to influence policy makers to make positive changes to the lives of carers right across the UK.

"Saul fits the role perfectly and we are thrilled that he has accepted our invitation to become a Carers Trust Ambassador. The Board and I, the Senior Leadership Team and all Carers Trust employees are greatly looking forward to working with him to secure positive change for unpaid carers.”