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What is Care for the Carers?
Care for the Carers is a charity that supports unpaid carers across East Sussex. Its site describes its role simply: helping people who look after a friend, family member or neighbour who could not cope without that support. The headline figure it gives is that 1 in 10 people in East Sussex care for someone.
What it offers
- Information and advice for adults and young people who have caring responsibilities.
- A Carers Hub as a first point of contact, with a phone number and email address for getting in touch.
- An East Sussex Carers Card, which the site links to emergency planning and discounts.
- Online resources and guidance for carers who want to find help themselves.
- Volunteering opportunities for people who want to support carers.
- Donation and appeal routes, including a Young Carers Appeal tied to Carers Week 2026.
Who it is for
The main audience is unpaid carers in East Sussex, including young carers. It is also relevant to people who are not sure whether they count as a carer, and to those who want to volunteer, donate or help shape the charity's future services. Because the focus is local, someone outside East Sussex would usually need a different organisation.
How it compares with other sources of help
| Type of support | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Care for the Carers | Local East Sussex carers wanting advice, a Carers Card and community connection | Limited to East Sussex; not a national service |
| National carers' charities | General information, campaigns and rights guidance | Less local casework and fewer local events |
| Council adult social care | Formal assessments and statutory support | Can be slower and more eligibility-focused |
A practical next step
If you look after someone and are unsure where to start, begin with the Carers Hub: call 01323 738390 or email [email protected]. Before you call, note down the person you care for, the main tasks you do each week, and whether you have any emergency plan in place. That makes the first conversation more useful. For national context alongside local help, Carers UK covers carers' rights and campaigning across the UK.
Am I eligible for support if I look after a family member or friend in East Sussex?
Yes. If you look after a family member, friend or neighbour in East Sussex who could not cope without your support, you are the person this service is built for — whether or not you live with them, and whether or not you receive any payment for it. The site's own framing is broad: it asks "Do you look after a friend, family member or neighbour who could not cope without your support?", and notes that around 1 in 10 people in East Sussex care for someone. That phrasing points to unpaid caring, not to professional or paid care work, and it does not restrict eligibility to relatives.
What eligibility tends to hinge on
- Where you are: the organisation covers East Sussex specifically, so the practical starting point is being a carer in that area.
- The nature of the care: ongoing help for someone who could not manage alone, rather than occasional favours.
- Whether it is unpaid: the emphasis on "unpaid carers" is the key distinction from paid care staff.
- Age is not a barrier: the site separately highlights young carers, so children and teenagers caring for someone are recognised too.
What you can actually get
The main routes described on the site are:
| Route | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Get help and advice | Information and guidance on your situation as a carer |
| Carers Card | An Emergency and Discount East Sussex Carers Card |
| Carer resources and online help | Self-directed information if you prefer to read first |
| Volunteering | For people who want to support carers rather than be supported |
| Carers Hub contact | Phone or email to talk your situation through |
If you are unsure whether you count, the quickest test is the site's own question: does the person you help depend on you to get through daily life? If yes, make contact rather than deciding for yourself. Call the Carers Hub on 01323 738390 or email [email protected], and describe your situation in a sentence or two — who you support, roughly how much you do, and what you are finding hardest. Ask specifically whether you qualify for the Carers Card and an assessment of your own needs, since those are the two concrete things the site puts in front of new visitors.
How do I apply for the Emergency and Discount East Sussex Carers Card?
The Carers Card is the practical route to two things at once: an emergency plan if something happens to you, and discounts at participating local businesses. Care for the Carers describes it as the "Emergency and Discount East Sussex Carers Card" and points to a single "Find out more" page as the starting point.
How to apply
Start on the Carers Card page at Care for the Carers and follow the application route shown there. The site does not set out the full form, eligibility wording or evidence requirements in the text available, so treat the page itself as the authority rather than a second-hand summary.
If the online route is unclear or you would rather speak to someone, the Carers Hub is the sensible fallback: 01323 738390 or [email protected]. This is especially useful if you are applying on behalf of someone else, if your caring role is hard to document, or if you need the card urgently.
What to have ready
Applications of this kind normally ask you to confirm:
- That you are an unpaid carer for a friend, family member or neighbour in East Sussex.
- Contact details for you and, where relevant, the person you care for.
- The person or people you would want contacted in an emergency, and what they should know.
The emergency element is the part worth thinking about before you start. A card is only as good as the plan behind it, so decide in advance who should be called, what needs doing first, and where key information (medication, routines, keys, contacts) can be found. The discount element is the simpler benefit and usually just means showing the card at participating businesses.
Who it suits
- Adult carers in East Sussex who want both a discount card and a recorded emergency plan in one step.
- Carers without a formal care package, who may not already be known to services.
- People who care for more than one person, where an emergency plan needs to cover several households.
If your caring is occasional or very short-term, the discount side may still appeal, but the emergency planning side matters less.
A useful next step
Before applying, write a one-page emergency note: who to call, in what order, what the person you care for needs day to day, and any access arrangements. Keep a copy with the card once it arrives, and give a copy to your named contacts. That turns the card from a piece of plastic into something that actually works on the day it is needed.
For young carers, the site also highlights a separate Young Carers Appeal tied to Carers Week, 8–14 June 2026, which is a different kind of support from the card itself.
What free advice and resources does the Carers Hub offer, and how do I contact it?
The Carers Hub is the contact point for unpaid carers in East Sussex, offering guidance, information and a route into the charity's wider services. It is aimed at anyone looking after a friend, family member or neighbour who could not cope without that support, and it is free to use.
What you can get
- Information and advice on caring, including direction to the help and support that fits your situation.
- Carer resources and online help, so you can read up on practical matters yourself before or instead of calling.
- A Carers Card covering emergency and discount benefits for eligible carers in East Sussex.
- Signposting to other services, including support for young carers and volunteering opportunities if you want to give something back.
How to contact it
- Phone: 01323 738390
- Email: [email protected]
A practical next step
Before you call, jot down three things: who you care for, roughly how many hours a week, and the single issue worrying you most — for example money, respite, or what happens if you fall ill. That turns a vague call into a focused one, and it helps the adviser point you to the Carers Card, a local group or a specific grant rather than general information.
If you are not in East Sussex, the same organisation will not cover you; Carers UK at Carers UK runs a national advice line and can point you to your local service.
How can I volunteer with Care for the Carers or donate to support unpaid carers?
You can do both through the charity's own site: volunteering starts via its volunteering opportunities page, and donations via its Donate Now link on Care for the Carers.
Volunteering
The site lists volunteering as a way to "make a difference to carers' lives," with a dedicated page for current opportunities. That is the practical starting point: read what roles are open, then register your interest so the team can match you to something suitable.
Expect the usual pattern for a local carers' charity: practical help, companionship, driving, helping at events, or office and fundraising support. If you have a specific skill — bookkeeping, social media, a second language — say so when you enquire, because small charities often shape roles around what volunteers can offer.
One useful question to ask before committing: how much training and supervision is provided, and whether the role involves direct contact with carers. Direct-contact roles usually need a DBS check and references, which takes time, so start earlier than you think you need to.
Donating
The Donate Now route on the homepage is the simplest way to give, and the site frames donations as providing "essential help and support when they need it most." If you would rather target your giving, the Young Carers Appeal is a specific, time-limited campaign: it aims to give local young carers a break over the summer, tied to Carers Week in June. That is a good choice if you want your money to fund something concrete and short-term rather than general running costs.
For regular giving, check whether the donation page offers a monthly option — recurring gifts are more useful to a charity than one-off amounts because they can be planned around. If you are a UK taxpayer, use Gift Aid where offered; it increases the value of your donation at no extra cost to you.
Choosing between them
| If you want to… | Do this |
|---|---|
| Give time and meet people locally | Apply through the volunteering opportunities page |
| Give money with no ongoing commitment | Use the Donate Now link |
| Fund something specific and seasonal | Give to the Young Carers Appeal |
| Support carers in a particular part of East Sussex | Ask the Carers Hub what is needed locally |
A practical next step
Contact the Carers Hub first — 01323 738390 or [email protected] — if you are unsure which route suits you. A short call will tell you what is genuinely needed right now, whether that is a volunteer driver, an event helper or a donation to a current appeal. If you are also caring for someone yourself, say so: the charity supports unpaid carers in East Sussex, and you may be eligible for help as well as able to give it.
What events and appeals are planned for Carers Week and Young Carers in 2026?
Carers Week 2026 runs 8–14 June, and the site lists two related strands: a Young Carers Appeal 2026 and a Carers Week awareness push. The appeal is framed around giving local young carers a break over the summer so they can “get to be a child,” and it is tied to the Carers Week dates rather than a separate campaign window.
What is planned
- Carers Week, 8–14 June 2026: a week to celebrate and thank carers across East Sussex and raise awareness of caring.
- Young Carers Appeal 2026: a summer break appeal for local young carers, launched to mark Carers Week 2026.
- Service-shaping feedback: the site also asks carers across East Sussex to say what works well and what could be different as future services are planned.
Who it is for
The appeal is aimed at people who want to support young carers locally, while Carers Week activity is for anyone in East Sussex who looks after a friend, family member or neighbour who could not cope without them.
Practical next step
If you want to take part or help, start with the site’s Carers Week and Young Carers Appeal pages, then use the Carers Hub contact route if you need advice about your own situation. A useful decision point: if you are a young carer or supporting one, the appeal is the summer-break route; if you are an adult carer, Carers Week is the awareness and celebration route, with the feedback call running alongside it.
For wider context on carers’ rights and national Carers Week activity, Carers UK is the official national charity.
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