Swann announces £1m grants from the Support for Carers Fund

Health Minister Robin Swann has announced the allocation of more than £1m in the second round of grants from the Support for Carers Fund.

Síofra Healy, Director of Philanthropy, Community Foundation NI; Health Minister Robin Swann, and Sara McCracken, Chief Executive, Angel Eyes.

Following assessment, 22 organisations and charities providing vital support for carers across Northern Ireland are receiving £1,007,974 to help with a range of projects which will directly support individual carers.

It’s part of a wider package of funding made available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support carers, cancer charities and mental health organisations.

The latest awards from the £4.4m Support for Carers Fund follow the allocation of almost £600,000 in the first round of funding, announced last September.

The Minister said: “I am delighted to be able to announce another round of funding awards under the Support for Carers Fund. When I launched the Fund last year my focus was to support projects which would make a real difference to the lives of individual carers, on the ground.

“There’s a great mix of projects receiving funding, the provision of practical support, wellbeing events, respite, advocacy support, and mental health support. Projects also cover both adult and young carers. I look forward to see how they make a difference in the lives and experiences of individual carers in the coming months and years.

“I want to pay tribute to the many thousands of people in Northern Ireland who help look after a family member or friend without financial reward. Put simply, the health service could not cope without them and we owe them a debt of gratitude, particularly for their tremendous sacrifices, hard work and dedication during the past two years of the pandemic.

The Fund is being administered and managed by the Community Foundation NI on behalf of the Department and aims to provide grant funding to organisations with charitable status that can deliver outcomes to improve the lives and experiences of carers.

Róisín Wood, Chief Executive at the Community Foundation said: “We know that there has been enormous pressure on carers as a result of the pandemic which will have impacted their physical, mental and emotional health. 

“We are pleased to award this much needed funding to groups who will now be able to offer support and respite to these carers who contribute such a huge amount to society.” 

Sara McCracken, Chief Executive of Angel Eyes said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured the funding from the Department of Health to support carers of blind and visually impaired children in Northern Ireland. This funding will enable us to provide practical and emotional support to even more families in need.”

Notes to editors: 

1. Grants in this round of the Support for Carers Fund have been made to the following organisations:

• Orchardville Society: £70,100 towards expansion of services to provide weekend and extended weekday respite sessions, as well as programme of carers support activities;
• Beat: £61,834: towards a programme of online courses for carers supporting those with an eating disorder throughout NI;
• Carers UK: £58,902 towards the expanded provision of advocacy and policy support for carers across NI;
• Epilepsy Action Northern Ireland: £60,479 towards the development of a new Family Support Project, for those caring for a person with Epilepsy. 
• Royal Mencap Society (Mencap): £68,618 towards the expansion of the Early Family Support Programme into the Derry and Strabane Council area.       
• The Brain Injury Foundation: £50,000 towards a programme of social and respite activities for carers of brain injury survivors, in the Southern Health Trust area.    
• Barnardo's Northern Ireland: £74, 900 towards a young carers awareness raising campaign within schools in the Northern and Western Health Trusts.        
• Destined Limited: £73,278 towards a rural support service for carers in North County Derry.
• The National Autistic Society Northern Ireland: £26,365 towards support groups for parents/carers with autistic children.       
• Inspiring Yarns: £36,320 towards 'Self Care for Carers'          
• incredABLE: £75,000 towards 'incredABLEy Caring' - a support programme for carers in the Southern Health & Social Care Trust area
• PrettynPink Breast Cancer Charity: £75,000 towards 'Pretty n Pink Carer Support Services'       
• Action Mental Health: £72,756 towards 'AMH Mindful Carers' - a mental health support programme for carers       
• Angel Eyes NI Services: £72, 527 towards 'EyeDentity' - a support programme for the carers of blind and visually impaired children and young people     
• Age NI: £74, 755 towards a 'Carer Wellbeing Service' - a health and wellbeing support programme for carers       
• Brooke House Health and Wellbeing Centre: £6,750 towards            Nurturing through Nature This project is aimed at improving wellbeing outcomes for family carers of veterans. Building on a pilot developed through a need analysis, the project will use input from a psychotherapist, counsellor and freelance facilitators to offer a range of mental health and wellbeing activities directly supporting 10 carers in the Fermanagh area.  
• Loughshore Care Partnership: £6,000 towards Family Choices Handyman Service Providing practical support around the home and garden for carers supporting family members in palliative care
• Leonard Cheshire Disability: £10,000 towards Carers & Disability A Deep Dive Engagement piece around the role of and impact on carers supporting family members living with disability       
• Gasyard Development Trust: £9,990 towards the North West Spectrum project, a health and wellbeing programme for parents of autistic children in Derry/Londonderry.
• The Happiness Café: £9,400 towards delivery of the Caring For Our Carers project, delivering Carer Support Groups to provide information and advice and also health and wellbeing activities for carers of people with dementia in Kilkeel, Ballymartin, Rostrevor, Warrenpoint, Newry, Bessbrook and Markethill.    
• North Belfast Women's Initiative & Support Project: £10,000 towards the Care for Carers project, delivering mental health, dietary management, stress management and other therapeutic services to carers in North Belfast.       
• Knitted Knockers of Northern Ireland: £5,000 towards the Clubhouse project, providing male and female monthly peer support groups and weekly music sessions for spouses/partners caring for those with breast cancer across Lurgan, Portadown, Banbridge, Lisburn, Belfast and the surrounding villages and townlands. 

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