Iona and Catherine’s story: bonding on a short break

Iona and Catherine’s story: bonding on a short break

Iona is a young carer who, alongside her mum Catherine, provides support for three family members: one living with dementia, one with mobility issues and hearing loss, and another who is frail, anxious, and deaf. Together, Iona and Catherine share the caring responsibilities. While they receive support from various services - including their local carers' centre - life is still incredibly demanding.

Due to her caring role, Iona often misses out on time with friends, social activities, and sometimes even schoolwork. Catherine worries about this, and both have been feeling increasingly stressed and emotional. Despite being close, they’ve had very little quality time to spend together just the two of them. Catherine shared: 

“We are lucky that we’re close, but we’ve both been feeling increasingly frustrated." 

So, after discussing the Time to Live microgrants with their local carers' centre, Iona and Catherine decided to apply for support towards a break they could both benefit from. It was something they had talked about often during difficult times - the idea of getting away together, even briefly. The microgrant became the key to making it possible and with help arranging replacement care, they were finally able to book their break, knowing their loved ones were safe and well-supported at home. Iona said: 

“We both love the outdoors, so we booked a short break camping in a teepee something we used to dream about when things were hard. We’d imagine sitting in a teepee together! We love walking too, so we brought the family dog. We had a wonderful time walking, chatting, and just being together, which is often difficult at home.”

The microgrant didn’t just give them time away, it also helped them reconnect, recharge, and return home feeling lighter, closer and better able to cope.

Find out more about Time to Live here.