Championing Social Care, which aims to promote, celebrate and unite the care sector, has applied to register as an independent charity.

Championing Social Care, which has been incubated by the CareTech Foundation since its launch, started life in 2018 as the Care Sector Fundraising Ball. During the pandemic the initiative became Championing Social Care, aiming promote and unite the care sector with a range of programmes and to shine a positive light on the great work of social care and its 1.6 million workforce.

The first step in registering the new charity has been to set up a company limited by guarantee, which will be followed by registration with the Charity Commission and the appointment of trustees.

Avnish Goyal, chair of Championing Social Care, said: “This is a really exciting move which shows how far we have come since Championing Social Care was formed. It has grown into a hugely successful project that aims to tell positive stories about the sector through its various initiatives.”

He added: “We feel that the time is right to register Championing Social Care as a charity in its own right. Our aim is to expand its work and grow its impact even further. We’d like to thank the CareTech Foundation for hosting the initiative up to now, and to thank all of our patrons for their enthusiastic support.”

The mission of Championing Social Care is led by a group of volunteers and ambassadors from among the leading figures in health and social care. In 2023 it raised almost £450,000 to support charities working in care through the Care Sector Fundraising Ball and the Care Sector Christmas Lunch, and has raised more than £1.2m to date. It also organises Care Home Open Week and Care Sector’s Got Talent.

Jonathan Freeman, chief executive of the CareTech Foundation, said: “The trustees of the CareTech Foundation are really enthusiastic about the new structure and the opportunities this development offers for the expansion of Championing Social Care as a stand-alone charity. There’s no doubt 2024 will be an important year for social care and championing the sector will be more important than ever.”