Karolina Gerlich

In March 2020, just as the world began to lockdown from Covid-19, The Care Workers’ Charity (CWC) welcomed their new CEO Karolina Gerlich to the team. Working completely remotely, Karolina’s guidance became a beacon of light during dark and uncertain times. Having worked as a domiciliary care worker for 12 years, Karolina has an exceptional understanding care workers’ skills, impact, and challenges. Her empathy for the social care workforce drives her passion for delivering meaningful change. In her two years at the charity’s helm, she increased CWC’s annual charitable giving by an average of 83,698% (from 2019) and added two additional grant programmes. In 2021, she launched two mental health programmes (Mental Wellbeing and Support Programme & Mental Health First Aider Training Programme) and brought care workers’ concerns to influence the national stage with a new Workforce Advocacy Programme. Her charisma, vision, and no-nonsense approach has expanded the charity’s influence amongst governmental, academic and sector leaders — while also connecting the public with care workers issues through mass and social media. She works tirelessly to improve care workers’ wellbeing in their daily lives and when they need it most.