Give them the childhood they deserve before it’s too late.

Children as young as five living near you are missing out on the experience of childhood – swapping playtime and precious memories for the responsibility of looking after someone they love. The impact often takes a huge toll on young people’s schoolwork, confidence and even career prospects.

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, disabled or has mental health problems.

These are amazing kids, doing an amazing job – often holding their family together. But they also need the time and space to be a child.

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.

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 weight of their worries and the pressures of home, and the knowledge that – no matter how tough things get – they’ve always got someone to talk to.

The impact of being a carer can severely affect a young person’s education and even career prospects. Your donation will help us give young carers the network and skills they need to cope now, and to achieve their goals in the future.