Carers Support West Sussex
Donate to help a young carer now
With your support, we can make sure children as young as five across West Sussex don’t miss out on the experience of childhood.
Story
You can change the lives of children near you
By donating, you can help free up a young carer’s time so they can play, build friendships, go to school and have ambitions - like any child should.
Your support can change these amazing kids’ life now and improve their prospects for the future.
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How will my donation to Carers Support West Sussex help?
Your gift could mean a young carer has time to enjoy being a child, while they still can.
There are over one million young carers registered in the UK. Unpaid and largely unnoticed, many of them have been forced to grow up too quickly, to take on the personal, practical or emotional care of a parent or sibling who is unwell or who has a disability.
We are a charity working in partnership with schools and local services to support 2,400 children and young carers in West Sussex, some of them as young as five.
With your help, we can bring much-needed fun and friendship into their lives. Through activities, holiday programmes and regular support groups, we offer time out from the worries and pressures of home, and the knowledge that, no matter how tough things get, they've always got someone to talk to.
Amy's story*
Amy has been caring for her mum since she was eight, she is now seventeen and over the years, the weekly carers group has been a constant source of support, and has provided Amy with a network of friendships with other young carers. Through being connected with the Young Carers Service this has helped Amy's mum to manage her health condition and access a care package, reducing the demands on Amy and the need to access emergency services. Amy has now returned to full-time education and has the goal of becoming a paramedic.
It's actually been amazing as I have made so many friends throughout [the] years. The staff are there to listen to you, they can help, and they are all caring. If I hadn't had the group I wouldn't have been able to cope.
Amy*, a young carer, age 17
*names have been changed to protect anonymity
£20 could fund a young carer to attend a young carer group, connecting them to a network of peer support
£50 could help us to identify and support a new child who is a carer
£200 could fund weekly daytime holiday activities for four eight to 11 year-olds