Specsavers Home Visits highlighted the value of unpaid carers at an event at the Saatchi Gallery yesterday evening (29 May).
The event, co-hosted with Carers UK, saw the unveiling of a piece of commissioned art highlighting the value that unpaid carers bring to communities in the UK.
Unpaid carers provide care valued at £184 billion every year, according to data from Carers UK.
Despite the huge monetary value, many carers feel invisible and undervalued, with over half (55%) wanting more recognition from the public, according to Carers UK’s 2024 Making caring the 10th protected characteristic report.
In the report, four in five carers (82%) said their physical and mental health would be a challenge over the coming year as a result of their caring responsibilities, with nearly 60% adding that being valued as a carer would improve their wellbeing.
A portrait of Jaycee La Bouche, a former nurse who now cares full-time for her 96-year-old mother, Aldith, was unveiled at the Saatchi Gallery event.
The painting, named The Most Valuable Portrait, was created by critically acclaimed artist Colin Davidson (pictured), who is known for his portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II, former US President Bill Clinton, and musician Ed Sheeran.
It aims to raise awareness and promote public recognition of the love, selfless hard work, and dedication of unpaid carers across the UK, Specsavers and Carers UK said.
The portrait has been assigned a symbolic value of £184 billion by fine art auction house, Roseberys.
This is equivalent to the estimated economic value of support provided by unpaid carers in the UK – a figure that is comparable to the cost of a second NHS.
While the portrait focuses on La Bouche, it also represents the British carers and their experiences, Specsavers Home Visits and Carers UK highlighted.
It is hoped that the portrait will bring awareness to the social isolation that many unpaid carers feel – something that was a recurring theme in the stories highlighted during the exhibition.
The artwork will be publicly displayed at London’s South Bank from today (30 May) until Sunday (1 June).
After this it will be auctioned, with funds raised being donated to Carers UK.
Carer Jaycee La Bouche stands in front of her portrait at the Saatchi Gallery on 29 May 2025
Capturing unsung heroes
Before painting the portrait, artist Davidson heard the stories and experiences of numerous carers so he could ensure their voices were captured through the picture.
Speaking about the commission, Davidson said: “It was an honour to create The Most Valuable Portrait. This artwork is not just about one person; it represents all the unpaid carers who deserve to be seen and valued. For me, it was a special commission to capture these unsung heroes who contribute as much to society as the celebrated public figures I typically paint.”
The Saatchi Gallery event also featured real stories of unpaid carers from across the UK.
One story was of Norman, who has been a carer for his wife, Ros, for 18 years.
Another story highlighted was that of Amanda, who before his death was an unpaid carer for her husband, David, who lived with Lewy body dementia.
Amanda had to care for David, who could not be left alone, whilst her own mother was terminally ill, the exhibition explained.
It also highlighted that Amanda had to take annual leave from her job to care for David, whilst others with caring responsibilities were often given more flexibility.
Carers UK’s 2024 Making caring the 10th protected characteristic report found that around one in 10 people in England and Wales are unpaid carers.
There are 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK – but the true figure may be as higher as 10.6 million as many do not immediately recognise themselves as carers, Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, told attendees at the Saatchi Gallery.
Specsavers and Carers UK would like to see being an unpaid carer made a protected characteristic, alongside characteristics including age, disability, sexuality and religion.
The Home Visits connection
Specsavers Home Visits highlighted that its employees observe the work of carers as they provide eye care and hearing services within people’s homes.
Specsavers Home Visits director, Chris Smith, told OT: “At Specsavers Home Visits, we provide care to people at home who would struggle to get into a store due to a physical or a mental health condition.
“When we are providing that care for people at home, we will quite often run into seeing the unpaid carer. That is how we realised the absolute wealth that they provide to our communities, and to such a vulnerable community.”
He added: “Because we are the ones visiting, we feel that they might not always be seen, and their voices might not be heard. That is why we feel passionate about making sure that we can do something to help them, as well as helping the patients, so that their efforts can be recognised a lot more.”
Walker emphasised that without unpaid carers, the health and social care system would collapse.
“Carers UK is excited to be part of The Most Valuable Portrait, working with Specsavers Home Visits to raise awareness and put carers’ stories in the spotlight. We want to see greater acknowledgment for the true value of unpaid care, a lifeline for many that often goes unrecognised,” she said.
Speaking to attendees during the launch event, Smith added that carers are “not just part of the picture – they are the full picture.”
La Bouche, the subject of the portrait, said that it was an honour to have had her story as a carer immortalised in a portrait.
“Caring for my mother has always been a natural choice for me, and one I embrace wholeheartedly,” she added.
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