As we clap for carers again, don’t forget the heroes in the struggling charity sector

There’s a hidden army of medics in the nation’s embattled charities, tired but defiant as demand on their services continues to soar, writes Craig Jones

NHS staff salute local heroes during a Clap for Carers event (PA)

With Clap for Carers (now Clap for Heroes) having started again, we shouldn’t forget the hidden army of medics in the nation’s embattled charities, tired but defiant as demand on their services continues to soar. My first months leading a health charity showed the unique tensions faced by a sector never more needed, while also in serious need of support.

In a new job, just as in life, timing is everything – 18 March, the first day as newbie CEO of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, was the day after everyone else left for home, which gave the office an eerie Marie Celeste feel. Meanwhile, in their homes, our charity’s nurses, medics, and fundraisers were ramping up as traffic for our helpline and advice services peaked.  

Everyone felt the same acute sense of responsibility. Bone health is an issue for people of all ages, but most of the 3.5 million living with osteoporosis (fragile bones) are in older age groups – the same group most affected by Covid-19. Half of us will develop osteoporosis by the age of 75 but, because only a quarter of adults actually know what it is, it’s been dubbed the “silent condition”.