WHO CARES?

THE STORY OF A SONG

In January 2025 The Independent Care Group (iCG) proudly announced the release of a song highlighting the care industry. ‘Who Cares?’, performed by Ivor Novello-nominated singer/songwriter Boo Hewerdine, was co-written by with iCG Marketing Executive Brian Johnson. The pair had previously had some success with a collaboration that reached No.1 in an iTunes chart in New Zealand.

Proceeds from the sale of the charity single went to The Care Workers’ Charity. The project has been sponsored by Hempsons, leading health, social care and charity lawyers.

‘When I joined iCG in 2023, I mentioned to then iCG Chair Mike Padgham that I wrote songs in my spare time, he said, “We need a song for the care sector!”. Over the next few months, whilst getting to grips with my new job, I began to develop a lyric that tried to capture ‘moments’ from the lives of carers and the people they care for. The phrase ‘Who Cares?’ seemed to work well for the chorus so slowly it came together.”

Armed with the words, Brian approached his friend Boo Hewerdine who has had songs recorded by kd lang, The Corrs and Eddi Reader and has been described by BBC Music as “one of Britain’s most consistently accomplished songwriters”.

“We began writing together during lockdown, just after Brian attended a songwriting workshop I’d run,” said Boo. “We seemed to click immediately and have written a number of songs together over the years - a couple of which appeared on my EP release ‘Singularities’. One of the songs, ‘The Night is Young’ is now one of my favourites and I perfom it at nearly every gig.”

They worked together on ‘Who Cares?’ in the same way as they usually do, via Zoom. “Boo is based in Glasgow and I’m in North Yorkshire” said Brian. “Due to my day job and Boo’s various touring and recording commitments, we don’t get together in the same room that often, but we found remote collaboration works for us. We met up online as usual for ‘Who Cares?’ and within an hour Boo had come up with a beautiful melody to accompany the words.”

The basic track (Boo singing and playing guitar, with top session musician Euan Burton on double bass) was recorded in the summer but Brian felt it needed an extra element. “We always felt more voices in the chorus would work well, so approached my friend David Wheale-Davey, musical director of The Skipton Choir, about arranging some choral parts for the song. He did a lovely job but as his choir were busy with preparations for various concerts, I had to look elsewhere for a group to perform on the recording.” The answer came even closer to home. “I’d recently joined ‘Sing Out! South Craven’, a new community choir based in my village of Glusburn. I asked if they’d like to get involved and despite only having formed a few months previously, they more than rose to the challenge.” The choir was recorded in their own rehearsal space at Glusburn Institute.

To accompany the song, Brian has directed and edited a video, (play it at the top of the page) shot by award-winning Silsden-based film-maker Dawn Feather at yorkshireedit.co.uk. The pair filmed sequences with staff and residents in care and nursing homes in the St Cecilia’s Group in Pickering and Scarborough, as well as with health and social care provider, ubu in Harrogate, who support vulnerable adults to live independently in their communities.

“We’ve known each other for years but we’d never worked together,” said Brian. “Dawn was working on a beautiful documentary called ‘Joy ‘O Dance’ - which has since gone on to win numerous awards - but she kindly broke off to help me on this project. I knew Dawn was really good with people and puts them at ease whilst filming, so we were able to get up close and personal and capture really special ‘day in the life’ moments and interactions between carers and their clients,” said Brian. “We were so priviledged to be able to get access to their lives for a few hours and share the positive aspects of the care world and I think the images shot really support the song’s tone.”

The song was well received by the care community and featured on BBC television and radio, as well as across local and national press.

'WHO CARES?' GOES TO LONDON

On 25th February 2025, thousands of social care workers, providers, and supporters from across the UK converged on Westminster for a ‘Day of Action’ – a march to demand urgent reform for social care. They were standing up for a fair, sustainable system that values both the workforce and those receiving.

Event organisers #ProvidersUnite, a coalition of social care representatives, adopted charity song ‘Who Cares?’ as an anthem and rallying cry. The song and video, co-written and produced by Brian Johnson of the Independent Care Group, was used to promote the event and the song was performed live at Westminster, on the day, by Ivor Novello-nominated singer Boo Hewerdine, co-writer of the song.

“We’re really proud our little song has been so embraced by the care community,’ said Brian. ‘We hoped it would shine a little light on such an invaluable and often overlooked workforce, so having it part of such an historic event is amazing.’

“This song isn’t just about carers, it’s about all of us who rely on social care,” say Providers Unite. “ The song speaks directly to the heart of the care sector. It’s a message of unity, strength, and the need for reform.”

Below is a short video of the Day of Action in London, with Brian and Boo leading a chorus of protesters)