It’s a well-known fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but a new survey commissioned by national charity Carers Trust shows that 56% of Britons surveyed who eat breakfast on a weekday spend 10 minutes or less preparing and eating breakfast during the week and more than one in three (39%) who eat breakfast on a weekend spend 10 minutes or less at the weekend. Almost two in ten (19%) of men and 11% of women don’t normally eat anything at all for breakfast on a weekday.

The findings come as Carers Trust, the largest charity for carers launches its first ever national fundraising campaign ‘Britain’s Best Breakfast’ to raise money to help support more unpaid carers and give them a break from their caring role and to encourage people to wake up to the issue of caring.

There are seven million unpaid carers in the UK and over the next 30 years this number will increase by 3.4 million (around 60%). Three in five of us will become a carer at some point in our lives [1]

Thea Stein, Chief Executive of Carers Trust comments: “Carers frequently tell us that they are exhausted, have no time for themselves and neglect their own health and wellbeing. Caring for a family member or friend can be back breaking and physically demanding and that’s why they need your help.”

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gives us fuel and energy to help us get through the day. We know that many carers skip breakfast because they simply don’t have time to prepare or eat it. Help us give them some more support.”

“We probably all know a carer. It could be your elderly neighbour caring for his wife, the mum across the road caring for her disabled daughter or the boy in your son’s class who cares for his mum who has cancer. Carers come from all walks of life. Please help us help them by getting involved with our campaign.”

The campaign will encourage people to hold a breakfast event in October 2014 for their friends and family and raise money for Carers Trust. For more information about the campaign text egg to 70660 or visit.www.britainsbestbreakfast.org