Carefree

What Carefree does

Carefree (legally Carefreespace, charity number 1176459, company number 10933982) is a UK-registered charity founded in 2016 by Charlie and James Ricketts, operating from London. It runs a digital platform that matches unpaid carers with vacant hotel rooms donated by hospitality partners, enabling 1-2 night respite breaks for adults providing more than 30 hours per week of unpaid care. The platform is built on Glide no-code technology and integrates Vouchsafe for inclusive identity verification, allowing digitally excluded carers to register and book. As of the most recent reporting, Carefree has 52,660 registered carers and has delivered 21,086 breaks, with 95% of users reporting improved wellbeing and an independently validated £21 social value return for every £1 invested.

Carefree operates a multi-sided marketplace with four monetisation streams: (i) turnover-based annual subscriptions from 20+ Community Partner organisations (£300-£4,000/year), (ii) Basic and Standard annual contracts with Local Authorities including a dedicated Local Authority Dashboard for Care Act 2014 compliance, (iii) £38 admin fees per break paid by carers (often sponsored by partners via Break Credits), and (iv) public donations. On the supply side, hotels including Hilton, Village Hotels, QHotels, IHG, and independent properties donate vacant rooms through an automated portal, accessing ESG credentials without financial outlay. The GTM combines direct-to-carer self-service registration, Community Partner referrals, and Local Authority procurement. Major hotel chains (Village Hotels, QHotels Collection) operate as core partners, while technology partners Glide and Vouchsafe underpin platform capability.

The organisation operates with a small team of 1-10 employees led by CEO Charlotte Newman, a Founding Member, and CTO Joey Ceunen. Annual operating budget sits at £800-900k, placing Carefree below the £1m small-charity threshold. Strategic direction is supported by an evidence base from independent research by Just Economics (£2,617 economic value per break, £1.9m in government savings delivered in 2025), positioning the model as both a social-impact intervention and a defensible procurement proposition for public-sector buyers.

Name

Carefree

Legal name

Carefreespace

Website

https://carefreespace.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carefree is a digital charity dedicated to supporting full-time unpaid carers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Respite Care Services for Unpaid Carers

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Overnight Respite Care (HSABAGAB)

Keywords

• Unpaid carer support
• Respite break services
• Hotel room donations
• Carer welfare charity
• Social care platform

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Community Partner Memberships: Turnover-based annual membership fees from Community Partner organisations (carer support charities, organizations). Fees range from £300-£4,000/year based on organizational turnover. Covers access to platform, referral tools, and impact reporting.
2. Local Authority Contracts: Annual contracts with Local Authorities under Basic or Standard packages. Includes access to platform, Local Authority Dashboard, Auto-Credits, and dedicated account management. Local Authorities can purchase Break Credits to sponsor Administration Fees for carers in their area.
3. Administration Fee (Carer): £38 administration fee charged to carers per break booking. Can be sponsored by Community Partners, Local Authorities, or individual donors. Provides two breaks per calendar year (January-June and July-December periods).
4. Donations and Fundraising: Public donations to support the mission of getting every carer a break. During Carers Week 2026, ran match-funded campaigns where donations were doubled. £5 donation helps fund a real overnight break.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Carefree operates a digital platform that converts vacant hotel rooms into 1–2 night respite breaks for full-time unpaid carers in the UK. Carers register and verify their caring status, browse available hotel rooms nationwide, and book directly through the platform for a £38 administration fee per break (sponsorable). Hotels donate room nights at no cost via an automated partner portal, gaining ESG credentials; the platform simultaneously serves Community Partner charities (membership-based) and Local Authorities (Basic/Standard contracted packages with reporting dashboards).

Product overview

Carefree operates a single unified digital platform (the Carefree Platform) that functions as a marketplace connecting three stakeholder groups: hotels donating vacant rooms (via the Carefree Breakmaker portal), unpaid carers booking respite breaks, and Community Partner/Local Authority organisations referring carers and tracking impact. The platform is built on Glide no-code technology and includes distinct modules for partner management, booking workflows, and impact reporting. There are no separately branded product tiers or add-on modules — the offering is the platform as a whole, with differentiated access roles for Carers, Hospitality Partners, Community Partners, and Local Authority Partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carefree Platform Web-based digital marketplace through which unpaid carers register, verify their caring status, browse available hotel rooms nationwide, and self-book 1–2 night respite breaks for a £38 administration fee per booking (up to two breaks per calendar year).
• Carefree Breakmaker (Hotel Partner Portal) Dedicated partner portal through which hotels and accommodation providers list surplus rooms, manage availability, confirm booking requests from carers, and gain ESG credentials by donating room nights at no cost.
• Local Authority Dashboard Dedicated reporting and resource hub delivered to contracted Local Authorities under Basic or Standard annual packages, providing real-time borough-level data on carer footprint, break uptake and impact reporting to support Care Act 2014 obligations.
• Community Partner Membership Portal Membership portal for Community Partner organisations (carer support charities, Carers Centres, Carers Trusts) that enables referral of eligible carers to Carefree, tracking of break journeys, purchase of Break Credits to sponsor carers' admin fees, and access to impact reporting dashboards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of carers report improved wellbeing after a Carefree break
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VouchsafecoreTechnology or Integration · 17 June 2025Inclusive identity verification system that enabled access to breaks for unpaid carers. Carefree raised £1m with Vouchsafe to build this capability, specifically supporting carers who may struggle with traditional verification methods.
• GlidecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform used to build Carefree's application, enabling rapid development and scaling. Connected 45,000+ unpaid carers with breaks in empty hotel rooms using Glide apps.
• Just EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist research, evaluation and strategy company that conducted independent analysis for 'A Lifeline, Not a Luxury' research report. Research asked: if Carefree did not exist, what would society have to spend instead?
• Barnsley CarerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree. Represents one of 20+ Community Partners in the network including Carers Centres, Carers Trusts, and support organisations across the UK.
• Carers CentrecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree.
• Carers FirstcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree.
• Carers Trust Cheshire and WarringtoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree.
• Carers OxfordshirecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree.
• Rethink Mental IllnesscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree.
• Islington Age UKcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner organisation referring carers to Carefree.
• St Giles HotelminorOthersHotel partner donating rooms to Carefree for carer breaks. One of hundreds of hotels nationwide in the network.
• Gonville HotelminorOthersHotel partner donating rooms to Carefree for carer breaks.
• Village HotelscoreOthersMajor hotel chain partner with multiple properties donating rooms across the UK including Village Hotel Coventry, Village Hotel Maidstone, Village Birmingham Walsall.
• DoubleTree by Hilton BathminorOthersHilton property partner donating rooms to Carefree for carer breaks.
• QHotels CollectioncoreOthersMajor hotel group partner. Carefree Breakmaker partnership with QHotels includes properties like The Manor Hotel Yeovil, Chesford Grange, Stratford Manor, Telford Hotel Golf Resort.
• Travelling for BusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate travel partner. Carefree Breakmaker badge used in partnership allowing corporate travel to align with ESG goals through Breakmaker hotel network.
• Greeneking InnsminorOthersHotel group partner operating The Manor Hotel Yeovil, Chesford Grange, and other properties.
• Holiday Inn SouthendminorOthersIHG hotel partner donating rooms to Carefree for carer breaks.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Carers UK: National UK charity specifically advocating for and supporting unpaid carers. Directly comparable mission of supporting unpaid carers across the UK, though focuses on advice/advocacy rather than respite break provision.
• Carers Trust: UK charity network of local carer organisations providing direct services to unpaid carers. Closely comparable operating model working through a network of local partner organisations, similar to Carefree's Community Partner structure.
• Family Fund: UK charity providing grants to families raising disabled or seriously ill children, including grants for short breaks and respite. Comparable model of using charitable funding to enable respite/breaks for caregivers in need.

Broad incumbents

• Airbnb: Global accommodation marketplace platform. Operates a comparable two-sided marketplace connecting accommodation inventory with travelers, though commercial rather than charitable and at vastly larger scale.
• Booking.com: Major online hotel booking platform. Comparable technology model connecting hotel inventory with bookers through a digital platform with self-service booking workflows.

Others

• Turn2us: UK charity helping people in financial hardship access welfare benefits and grants. Similar UK charity using digital tools to deliver social impact, comparable target demographic of vulnerable UK residents.
• JustGiving: UK charity fundraising platform powering online donations for thousands of charities. Comparable digital infrastructure supporting UK charitable activity, with similar technology-driven nonprofit model.
• OpenTable: Digital restaurant reservation platform connecting diners with restaurant inventory. Comparable marketplace platform model linking consumer demand with hospitality supply, similar platform architecture though different industry vertical.

Emerging players

• Helpforce: UK charity innovating in volunteer mobilization for health and care support. Comparable digital charity innovation in social care space, similar mission of supporting healthcare system through creative digital models.
• Together for Short Lives: UK charity for children with life-limiting conditions and their families, including respite break provision. Comparable UK charity providing respite support and breaks to family caregivers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/carefreespace
• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/carefreespace
• Instagraminstagram.com/carefreespace

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carefree