With over 1,100 unpaid carers across Surrey now on our waiting list we urgently need to raise funds to bring help and support that will contribute to making carers lives easier. The impact of COVID-19 on carers has led to many experiencing greater vulnerability as their caring responsibilities increased and access to community services were significantly reduced.
Unpaid carers, who rarely get breaks and often feel isolated at home, are increasingly reliant on charity organisations like Crossroads Care Surrey, who can give them the help they need to care for loved ones, while supporting them to manage their own health and wellbeing needs.
We’re recruiting volunteers who can help us to bring practical and emotional support to carers, including shopping support, befriending or connections to other activities. We aim to help reduce the pressures and responsibilities of caring and help ensure carers can feel connected with others in their local community that can help them to care.
What we'll deliver:
- • Recruit 100-150 volunteers across Surrey in the coming year, including 15 or more volunteers for Guildford.
- • Reach 400 carers Surrey wide; and in Guildford connect 45 Carers and those they are caring for with our volunteers.
- • Provide 1,800 sessions to carers who feel isolated and suffer health inequalities leading to them being vulnerable.
- • Focus on developing new carer-led activities that bring greater health and wellbeing benefits to carers in Guildford.
- • Engage with community groups, local businesses, and partners to link services and activities.
- • Make referrals and connections that enable all carers reach the help they need to care from across the borough.
Why it's a great idea:
We already have support from across the county and have recruited over 50 volunteers available to help carers. With more volunteers, and through links made with local charities, and businesses to promote our Charter for working carers, we will bring a greater range of support for local carers that brings them improved mental health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Support for carers helps reduce early admissions to hospitals and care homes, it helps reduce the financial cost of caring for older people by the NHS, and most importantly it helps those with care needs to stay at home, where they most want to be, being looked after by their family for as long as possible.
Helping carers impacts hugely on wider families and friends as they get to see the difference it makes for caring families, and they get to spend more quality time with those they love, without feeling they are being over-burdened by caring responsibilities.
Steps to get it done:
- 1. Increase our links with local groups and partners to promote our volunteering opportunities.
- 2. Recruit more local volunteers who can flexibly provide support to carers in their local area
- 3. Manage training of new volunteers and quicken the time it takes between offering help and providing it to carers
- 4. Promote volunteer activities to 150 carers from Guildford that are currently waiting or receiving a service from us
- 5. Raise awareness of caring and promote on social media to the hundreds of other carers in Guildford needing support
- 6. Facilitate carer assessments so our support for carers is fully carer-led
- 7. Support the connections made between carers and volunteers so they are successful and lead to benefits for both
- 8. Implement a monitoring process which will help us to record data on all the visits we make and the people we support
Assisting carers to have improved wellbeing by reducing loneliness and isolation, ensuring families have access to the essential things they need, and increasing carers contact with local communities helps hugely to reduce caring burdens and make caring easier.
Our project activities include volunteers making essential shopping trips for carers, collecting medicine prescriptions, and offering befriending calls to carers or companionship visits to those they care-for. In 2022-23, we will bring more chances for carers and their loved ones to benefit from new volunteer activities, including cared-for clubs, carer support groups, training in caring, specialist needs and digital technology or to take part in other social, health and wellbeing, cultural or creative activities that enable them to explore hobbies and interests and connect with their lives beyond their caring role.
Help us to help every carer in Guildford access the information and support they need from across their community.
