Carers Support West Sussex

Carers Support West Sussex is a registered charity established in 2007, dedicated to advancing the recognition, inclusion, and wellbeing of unpaid family and friend carers across West Sussex, regardless of age, background, or caring circumstances. Its core mission is to ensure carers are seen, heard, and valued for their vital contributions to individuals and the economy, guided by values of diversity, inclusion, respect, compassion, and empowerment. With a holistic, strengths-based approach, the charity delivers direct services like emotional counselling, advocacy, support groups, helplines, hospital teams, and assistance with assessments, while prioritizing mental and physical health, disability support, poverty relief, community development, and equality for carers and those they support.

It funds small, one-off grants exclusively to individual carers for wellbeing needs such as respite breaks, essential equipment, mobility aids, holidays, or specialist advice, aiming to reduce isolation, boost resilience, and improve access to services. Thematic priorities include health challenges (frailty, illness, mental health, substance misuse), with outcomes focused on enhanced carer wellbeing alongside caring roles.

Eligibility is strictly limited to unpaid carers living in West Sussex or caring for someone there; organisations, charities, and external projects are ineligible, with no acceptance of unsolicited applications. Grants, typically £100–£300 (occasionally up to £500), are awarded on a rolling basis following carer registration, individual assessment, and case review—no fixed deadlines or organisational funding applies.

Distinctively, Carers Support West Sussex emphasises locally embedded, carer-led services through staff, volunteers, and trustees with lived experience, funded mainly by government contracts rather than broad grant-making, setting it apart from traditional funders by prioritising direct, tailored interventions over organisational support.