Health Minister Robin Swann has announced the allocation of nearly £900,000 in the third round of grants from the Carers Support Fund.
Following the assessment, 27 organizations and charities that provide vital support to carers across Northern Ireland are receiving £897,221 to help with a range of projects that will directly support individual carers on the ground.
Today, the Minister of Health visited two of the organizations that will benefit from this latest round of funding. Speaking after visiting Advice NI and Newington Day Centre, Minister Swann said: “I appreciate that the role of unpaid carers can be very challenging and that this was particularly the case during the pandemic. This is why setting up this fund and providing much needed help and support to carers was a priority for me. The Carers Support Fund has now awarded around £2.5m in funding which should help make a real and practical difference to people’s lives.
The Minister continued: “I hope that projects such as the ones I have had the privilege of visiting today will help to bring about a lasting improvement in the lives and experiences of individual carers.”
The funding was made available in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to support carers, cancer charities and mental health organisations.
Council NI, based in South Belfast but with services across Northern Ireland will receive £74,858 for their ‘Carers Rights – Digital’ project. Council NI, in partnership with the Special Educational Needs Authority (SENAC), plan to support carers of children with learning difficulties to become more digitally involved, enabling them to engage with policy and decision makers and access in their rights and entitlements. Bob Strong, CEO at Advice NI said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with SENAC to support carers to learn the digital skills to go online safely and access rights and entitlements theirs. And especially during a cost of living crisis – it’s important that carers have access to all the support that’s available to them.”
Newington Day Centre, based in North Belfast has been providing care for older people in the local community for over 30 years. The day center has been awarded £70,470 to develop a Carers Respite service. The funding will support twice monthly Saturday day care, provide a new ‘meet and eat’ community group and additional support for carers in Belfast. Margaret McCrudden, Manager at Newington Day Center said: “I would like to thank Minister Swann for visiting our day center today. This grant will enable us to provide much needed weekend respite for carers in our local community.”
The Fund is administered and managed by the NI Community Foundation on behalf of the Department and aims to provide grant funding to organizations with charitable status that can deliver results to improve the lives and experiences of carers.
Róisín Wood, Chief Executive at the Community Foundation said: “Carers provide such an important role in society, but it is often overlooked but invaluable. Carers range from children and young people, to those caring for parents of all ages, partners and sometimes friends. All of these caregivers have different needs and often have to balance their caregiving duties with school or work. We are proud to be working with the Department of Health to administer the Carers Support Fund, enabling groups to provide support and relief to these carers who contribute so much to society.”
Notes to editors:
- Captions: Newington Day Center – Health Minister Robin Swann pictured at Newington Day Center with (LR) Siobhan Barronwell, Chair of Newington Day Centre; Róisín Wood, Chief Executive at the Community Foundation and Margaret McCrudden, Manager at Newington Day Centre.
Advice NI – Health Minister Robin Swann pictured at Advice NI with (LR) Róisín Wood, Chief Executive at Community Foundation; Bob Strong, CEO at Advice NI and Richie Finlay, Chair of the Special Educational Needs Authority (SENAC).
- Grants in this round of the Carer Support Fund have been awarded to the following organisations:
- NI Council: £74,858 towards the Digital Rights for Carers project, supporting the digital inclusion needs of carers of children with learning difficulties across NI.
- BeKind Kids Club: £10,000 for the BeKind to your Mind project, providing practical and emotional support workshops for parents/carers of children with learning disabilities in Bangor.
- Bolster Community (Space NI supporting people and community enterprises earlier) £75,000 towards Your SPACE project (Supporting parents and children every day), providing respite and play and evidence-based training initiatives for carers in Newry, South Armagh, South Down and Armagh.
- Carers UK: £75,000 to establish a Carers Poverty Commission in NI.
- Carers Unite Carers Support Group: £3,080 for ‘Craft, Create and Chat’ activity program for 10 carers.
- Center for Health and Wellbeing: £9,900 towards the Recovery for Carers project
- Clanrye Group: £9,550 for the first 12 week Carers activity program for carers in the Southern Trust area.
- Drumgath Ladies Group: £10,000 for the Supporting All Carers project, providing an information, social and wellbeing program for carers in Rathfriland.
- FOCUS Omagh: £72,582 towards the We Care support program in Omagh.
- Friendly Care Group Termonmaguirc: £10,000 for the Building Our Mind, Body and Brain project, a community-based health and wellbeing program for carers in Carrickmore.
- Garvagh Development Trust: £10,000 for a woodland holiday program for 20 families in the Causeway area.
- Autism Helping Hands Support Group: £9,830 towards a program of direct carer support and also the development of a new ‘new carers’ group for those who care for others with autism in Dundonald and the wider area North Down.
- Links Counseling Service Ltd.: £59,580 towards the FREed Program – supporting carers of those with eating disorders in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon.
- Lislea Community Association: £9,964 for weekly parent/carer support sessions
- Mainstay DRP: £29,887 for the Older Carers Space project in the Downpatrick area.
- Mid & East Antrim Agewell Partnership: £75,000 towards the Creases for Carers project, providing a professional ironing service with door-to-door delivery to elderly carers in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne.
- Newington Day Centre: £70,470 to develop the Newington Carers Respite service, providing Saturday day care, a new ‘meet and eat’ community group and additional support for carers in Belfast.
- Portadown Wellness Centre: £9,900 towards the Caring for our Carers project, providing counseling services and therapeutic activities including yoga and arts and crafts, cookery, sewing and fashion classes for carers in Portadown.
- Positive Future: £8,804 towards a program of activities for carers of adults and young people.
- Praxis Care: £75,000 to deliver the Carers Support Project of People Living with Dementia in Newtownabbey, Lisburn, Coleraine, Derry, Lisnaskea.
- Recharge CIC (formerly Heart of Dorn CIC): £9,740 towards the Prioritizing Carers project, providing workshops and events open to carers within the Ards Peninsula.
- Spatial and Respite Care Services for SEN: £10,000 for an ongoing program of parent and sibling support sessions.
- SOLAS Special Needs Charity: £69,284 towards an Advocacy and Home Support program for carers of children and young people with moderate to severe disabilities.
- Tamnamore Community Development Association: £9,930 for the WE Know Better project, providing a program of education, social and interactive activities for carers in Tamnamore.
- Fitzone Foundation: £4,900 for a weekly drop-in session for carers and regular outings.
- Pink Ladies Cancer Support Group: £74,982 towards a support program for cancer carers in the North West.
- Urban Community Chef CIC: £9,980 towards the AffordABLE Menu Masterclasses project for unpaid carers across the Ards Peninsula and North Down.
- For media enquiries, please contact the DoH Press Office by emailing [email protected].
- Follow us on Twitter @healthdpt
The Executive Intelligence Service operates an out-of-hours service For media inquiries only from 1800 to 08:00 from Monday to Friday and during weekends and public holidays. The press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.
Share this page
