Darren’s Roadtrip: A Journey Across the UK to Meet the Carers Behind the Numbers
Every day across the UK, millions of unpaid carers quietly keep the world turning for someone they love. They balance work, family, sleepless nights, unexpected crises and constant uncertainty — often without ever calling themselves “carers.” This month, as part of Carers Rights Week, our CEO and Founder Darren set out on a roadtrip across the country to meet the people and services supporting these hidden heroes. What he discovered along the way was not just progress, but the heart of what Bridgit is really about: listening, learning and standing beside the people who hold everything together.
A Journey Across the South West and Beyond
The South West has recently become one of the most engaged regions using Bridgit. During his visit, Darren met with Torbay NHS Carers, Devon Carers and Improving Lives Plymouth — teams working hard to create better, more accessible pathways for carers.
For these services, Bridgit isn’t just a digital platform. It’s a way to bring everything carers need into one place: clear signposting, personalised guidance, 24/7 AI coaching, and smoother collaboration with local charities and VCSE partners. Frontline staff told Darren how helpful it is to have a consistent, easy-to-use tool they can share with families at the exact moment support is needed.
The roadtrip didn’t stop in the South West. Darren continued on to Buckinghamshire, where momentum is growing around their upcoming rollout. Each council he visited shared the same drive: to give carers faster access to the right support, without the overwhelm or long waits that so often push people to breaking point.
These visits weren’t just check-ins. They were conversations — real, honest discussions about what’s working, where frustrations lie, and how Bridgit can keep getting better.
Meeting Real Carers and Hearing Their Stories
One of the most powerful moments of the week came through BBC Radio Devon, where unpaid carers were given space to talk about their experiences publicly. The programme highlighted the staggering 162,000 people providing care in Devon alone and introduced listeners to the impact Bridgit is already having.
Rohan Davidson, Carers Development Manager, explained how Bridgit replaces hours of searching with simple, personalised answers based on a carer’s actual situation. No jargon. No noise. Just clarity.
Local carer Ali also shared her experience after using Bridgit for a week. She spoke about the reassurance of having guidance that felt structured and relevant to her life — something she didn’t realise she needed until she felt the difference.
Hearing carers speak in their own words is what truly shapes our work. Their voices, worries and lived realities influence every improvement we make more than any piece of technology.
The week finished with a milestone in Torbay, where Darren joined local carers at Paignton Library for their official launch. People explored the tool, asked questions and began to see how Bridgit could support them day to day. Many said similar things:
“I didn’t know there was support for me as well.”
“I thought this was just what I had to do on my own.”
Moments like that remind us why these visits matter.
Why These Visits Matter for Carers and Services
Caring rarely comes with a manual. It looks like managing medication at 3am, rearranging shifts, interpreting medical letters, or worrying about what will happen if something goes wrong. Most people doing these things don’t call themselves carers — they call themselves daughters, partners, parents, neighbours.
But without recognising your caring role, you’re unlikely to ask for flexibility at work, look for local support or know your rights. Carers Rights Week highlights exactly that: recognition matters. Access matters. Knowledge matters.
The insight Darren gathered on his roadtrip strengthens the Bridgit platform in real-time. Every conversation feeds back into:
clearer, more accurate guidance
simpler personalised plans
stronger collaboration between services
and a smoother digital front door for carers
It ensures the platform keeps evolving with carers, not around them.
A Roadtrip That Marks a New Chapter
Darren’s journey wasn’t simply a tour of councils or services. It was a chance to meet the people who quietly hold families and communities together. Their stories — full of resilience, fear, determination and love — are the reason Bridgit exists.
The roadtrip may have covered miles, but it also reaffirmed something important:
carers deserve recognition, clarity and support at the exact moment they need it.
And with every partnership, every conversation and every person who tries the platform, we move closer to a future where no carer feels they have to do this alone.
