The Carers Gloucestershire Legacy Fund was established in 2020 following the closure of Carers Gloucestershire.
Trustees of the charity decided to use the funds remaining following the charity’s closure to create a lasting legacy and provide valuable support for carers in the county.
Gloucestershire Community Foundation worked with trustees of Carers Gloucestershire to create a bespoke grant programme with specific criteria which reflected both the work of Carers Gloucestershire and the needs of adult carers in Gloucestershire.
Heather Beer, former Trustee of Carers Gloucestershire who helped to set up the fund with GCF, wrote to us recently:
“As you know, it was a very difficult time for everyone during the closure of Carers Gloucestershire and I am so so pleased that we made the right decision to establish a legacy fund and also most importantly to partner with GCF in the delivery and management of that fund. You, Sarah and the rest of your team have done a fabulous job and I’m so pleased to see the benefit that is already being realised and delivered for adult carers across many areas of the county. Just brilliant to see.”
Establishing the Carers Gloucestershire Legacy Fund was also GCF’s first opportunity to develop a grants panel made up entirely of people with lived experience of caring.
Rosemary Lynn, a former carer and one of the two Carers Gloucestershire Trustees that became members Legacy Fund panel, said:
“As members of the panel, it’s our role to make sure the ethos of Carers Gloucestershire is sustained and our focus will be on enabling local organisations to provide relevant, appropriate and innovative support for adult carers.”
Since the programme was established the panel has approved grants totalling more than £375,000 to organisations and projects supporting adult carers in Gloucestershire. These include:
- Gloucestershire Parent Carers Forum – to expand the forum’s role to provide umbrella support to very small parent carer groups across Gloucestershire
- Forest, Cheltenham and Cirencester Mental Health Carers Support Groups – to fund dedicated mentoring and support to carers of people with mental illness
- Maggies Cheltenham – to provide one-to-one emotional and psychological support for carers of people who are living with cancer as well as group peer support
- Gloucestershire Young Carers – to fund a Wellbeing Support Worker and wellbeing activities for young adult carers
- Ebony Carers – in support of emotional wellbeing project (including cultural counselling) for adult carers as well as the provision of workshops to enhance their knowledge of digital technology and healthy lifestyles
- Mindsong – to expand their music therapy service to include carers of people with complex dementia at home
- Creating Space for You – to support the publication and distribution of an interactive healing book to be produced for parent carers
- Allsorts – to improve the health, wellbeing and knowledge of parents and carers of disabled children through support groups, information & advice and activity sessions
- GL Communities – to develop support for carers in the local area by opening a space for them inside the Phoenix Wellbeing Community Centre and co-creating a programme of relevant activities for carers.
The grants programme is currently closed but we expect to have additional funds available to distribute later in 2022. To find out more about the impact of the programme, please watch the recording of our recent Carers Gloucestershire Legacy Fund Let’s Talk/Let’s Listen event.