Guildford Young Carers Fund

The Guildford Young Carers Fund was set up by Mike Parsons during his year as mayor in 2018/19 and is part of Guildford Philanthropy. The Fund awards grants to support young carers in the Borough of Guildford. Grants of up to £400 will support young carers by providing services or equipment that will help them with their educational, emotional and social needs.

Grants for things such as:

• additional non-statutory support in school or college
• extra tuition or educational support outside school or college
• IT or other equipment to support educational needs**
• school trips, outings or residential activities
• courses
• music, sports or play activities or other clubs outside school (including membership fees)
• opportunities to meet other young carers

Grants are not available for duties that are the statutory responsibility of the local authorities.

** The Fund is unable to provide laptops in situations where there is a statutory obligation for a Government body to provide one. We are unable to consider the provision of grants which are solely relating to laptops for school/college-based courses unless there are exceptional circumstances.

How to apply

The Guildford Young Carers Fund accepts applications from Guildford schools and Action for Carers Surrey (ACS). A member of the staff team from any Guildford school, or ACS, can complete an application on behalf of a young carer in their care. The Fund Panel will review the application, and if approved, payment will be made via BACS to the school/ACS.

• For more information and advice on how to apply, see the guidance notes.
• The application form can be accessed here – GYC Application Form.

Please send completed application forms and supporting documents to grants@cfsurrey.org.uk

We will aim to have funding outcomes within 6-8 weeks.

Did you know…

Guildford Young Carers addresses an area of society that is very much overlooked by us all. Estimates suggest that as many as 20% of children aged 5 to 18 in many areas of Guildford act as carers – unrecognised and hidden to society. The effect on these children is huge. Some fail to realise their academic potential, and they often suffer mental health issues, bullying and social media abuse.

These are young people who find their normal young lives being replaced by caring for a relative within the family unit. These responsibilities often cause negative outcomes, such as falling behind at school, or simply a loss of precious childhood time. These children and young people are often unable to access help and many do not even realise that they are acting as carers – it’s just what you do.