Charitable Trust Support
Grants for carers
A caring role can mean a life of poverty, isolation, depression, frustration and ill health. Many carers face these problems and give up an income, future employment prospects and pension rights. With the support of companies, charitable trusts and individuals, the Trust has set up a number of funds to make grants to individual carers or groups of carers to alleviate the effects of caring in a number of ways.
This includes grants for:
- Everyday household items such as washing machines, cookers, beds – essential everyday items which can make a huge difference to a carers life
- Taking a break from caring whether it is a short holiday or a group outing
- Transport and getting around to hospitals, doctors and other specialist care appointments and combating isolation
- Young carers taking part in activities, having a mentor, undertaking counselling
- Training for carers to help them get back to work
Carers’ Centres can apply for grants for individual carers (up to £200) or to undertake activities with groups of carers. This means we can assure our funders that all grants reach those in most need and are well spent.
Last year, we awarded 645 grants making a real difference to the everyday lives of carers and worth over £230,000 in total – all made possible through the generosity of companies and charitable trusts.
Trailblazers - demonstrating and sharing best practice
We are continually seeking new ways of reaching more and different carers and developing services to meet the needs of different communities and groups. One of the key ways we can achieve this is by funding and setting up development projects with Carers’ Centres to try out new ways of working. Lessons learnt can then be shared throughout our Network and adapted and used in different parts of the country.
The Trust has funded six Carers’ Centres to develop ways of finding new carers. One such project is Sefton Carers’ Centre who are developing a Link Workers Hospital Discharge Project over the next three years. Two carers workers will be recruited and based within acute hospitals in the Sefton locality. They will work to set up systems to make sure that when patients are in hospital, their carers are identified as early as possible to ensure that they are fully involved in the discharge planning process. Carers will also be referred to appropriate support services so that they can manage and cope with their new caring responsibilities. Such systems are rarely in place and it is hoped that this project will demonstrate the benefits to patients, carers and their families of early intervention.
These projects have been made possible with the generous help of a major charitable trust. Find out more about Charitable Trusts and Foundations.