Action For Family Carers

What Action For Family Carers does

Action for Family Carers is an Essex-based registered charity (charity number 1127164) and company limited by guarantee in England and Wales (company number 06680960) that has been making a positive difference to the lives of unpaid carers and young carers for over 30 years. Its headquarters are at Brickhouse Farm Community Centre, Poulton Close, Maldon, CM9 6NG. The organisation operates as a Carers Trust Network Partner and holds the Carers Trust Centre of Excellence designation as well as NCVO's Trusted Charity Mark at Level 2 and the PQASSO Quality Mark at Level 3.

The charity delivers an integrated portfolio of support services rather than a software product. Core offerings include Adult Carer Support Services (counselling, working carers support, male carers services, GP liaison, family support, Time4You grants, and Carer Support Groups across towns such as Harlow, Ongar, Saffron Walden, Stansted, Buckhurst Hill, and Dunmow), Young Carer Support Services (Club Nights, in-school support, trips and activities, Young Adult Carer transitions), Day Care for older people, and Activity Groups ("Keeping Active" and "Active Minds") for people with mild to moderate dementia or memory problems. Additional programmes include Virtual Reality Wellbeing sessions (partner: UCAN / Virtual Reality Therapies CIC), a HEAT Home Energy Advice partnership with The Wise Group, and the Your Voice Counts engagement programme.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded with marginal fee income. Core services for carers are free; activity groups charge £21 per session or £42 for a full day (lunch not provided). Funding sources include public donations via JustGiving, restricted grants such as the £109,000 over three years from BBC Children in Need for young carers in North-East Essex, and contractual / referral income associated with NHS and local authority data-sharing agreements. Distribution is community-led and event-driven: carers self-refer via the website, are referred by Adult Social Services and GPs, or are identified through school partnerships. Service delivery in some North-East Essex locations is co-produced with partner charity Essex Carers Support, while ancillary partnerships (Zinc Arts Centre, Touchpoint Café, Community Energy Pathways, St Clare Hospice, Epping Forest District Council) extend venue and complementary-service reach.

Name

Action For Family Carers

Legal name

Action for Family Carers

Website

https://affc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Action for Family Carers is an Essex-based registered charity supporting unpaid adult and young carers for over 30 years. It delivers counselling, support groups, day care, grants, and advocacy services across Essex in partnership with Carers Trust, NHS, and local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Social Care Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Caregiver Support & Education Programs (Center-Based) (HSABANAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI), Family Caregiver Relief & Coaching (Respite-Integrated) (HSABAGAJ), Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG)

Keywords

• Carer support services
• Young carer programs
• Charity social care
• Community caregiver support
• Nonprofit counselling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Maldon

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The organization relies on public donations to fund its core services supporting unpaid carers across Essex.
2. BBC Children in Need Grant: Received £109,000 over three years from BBC Children in Need to support young carers in North-East Essex.
3. Activity Group Fees: Some activity groups for older people have a fee attached: £21 per session or £42 for a full day. Lunch is not supplied.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Action For Family Carers is an Essex-based charity that delivers free, community-based support services to unpaid adult carers and young carers, including one-to-one counselling, peer support groups, day care and activity groups for older people (Keeping Active and Active Minds for those with dementia or memory problems), whole-family support, GP liaison, Time4You grants, and carer advocacy. Services are accessed via website self-referral, professional referrals from Adult Social Services and GPs, and school-based referrals for young carers, with delivery across towns including Harlow, Ongar, Saffron Walden, Stansted, Buckhurst Hill, Dunmow, and Chelmsford.

Product overview

Action for Family Carers is a single-site Essex-based charity offering an integrated portfolio of support services for unpaid carers rather than a software product. Its core offerings consist of: Adult Carer Support Services (including counselling, working carers support, GP liaison, male carers services, Time4You grants, and Carer Support Groups at multiple Essex locations); Young Carer Support Services (including Club Nights, in-school support, trips and activities, and Young Adult Carer transitions); Day Care for older people; and Activity Groups (Keeping Active and Active Minds) for people with dementia or memory problems. Additional services include a Virtual Reality Wellbeing programme, a HEAT Home Energy Advice partnership, and a Whole Family Support approach. All services are accessed via adult or young carer referral forms on the website. The organisation holds Trusted Charity Mark Level 2 and Carers Trust Centre of Excellence status, but does not offer a public API or software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Carer Support Services Comprehensive support services for unpaid adult carers aged 18 and over in Essex, including advice, emotional support, carer assessments, counselling, working carers support, GP liaison, male carers services, family support, Time4You grants, and carer support groups.
• Young Carer Support Services Support for children and young people aged under 18 whose lives are restricted due to a caring role, including Young Carer Club Nights, in-school support, trips and activities, and Young Adult Carer transitions.
• Day Care Providing a regular day out for older people who need help and support, giving family carers a few hours break.
• Activity Groups (Keeping Active and Active Minds) Keeping Active (physical activities) and Active Minds (cognitive activities) sessions for older people with mild to moderate dementia or memory problems, delivered at locations including Harlow, Epping, and Dunmow at £21 per session or £42 for a full day.
• Carer Support Groups Peer support groups for adult carers across multiple Essex locations, including Ongar, Harlow, Saffron Walden, Stansted, Buckhurst Hill, Dunmow, and online male carers groups, offering advice, information, and emotional connection.
• Time4You Grants Financial grants for carers to access respite opportunities, breaks, and activities that support their wellbeing and provide relief from caring responsibilities.
• Counselling Service Free confidential counselling for carers, providing emotional support and a safe space to process feelings and focus on mental health.
• HEAT Home Energy Advice Programme Free energy advice and mentoring delivered in partnership with The Wise Group HEAT, helping carers manage energy bills, access grants and vouchers, and overcome fuel poverty.
• GP Liaison Service A service working with GPs to help them provide better support for carers, facilitating identification and referral of carers within primary care settings.
• Your Voice Counts Engagement Programme An engagement programme enabling carers to shape services through surveys, forums, and story sharing, ensuring their voices influence service development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 124,000 unpaid carers and 10,000 Young Carers estimated to need support in Essex

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Carers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarers Trust Network Partner and Centre of Excellence. The organization receives grants through Carers Trust (e.g., Carers Trust grants for fuel costs) and participates in Carers Trust initiatives including Young Carers Action Day.
• Essex Carers SupportmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner organization that delivers some support groups including Tiptree, Harwich/Dovercourt, Colchester, West Mersea, Walton/Frinton, St Osyth, and online Male Carers Support Group.
• Touchpoint Café (Stansted)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to run Carers' Coffee Morning in Stansted at Touchpoint Community Hub.
• UCAN / Virtual Reality Therapies CICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing virtual reality wellbeing sessions at Ongar Carer Support Group, offering VR experiences to help carers relax and escape.
• Zinc Arts CentreminorOthersVenue for Ongar Carer Support Group meetings at Zinc Arts Centre, Great Stony, High St, Chipping Ongar.
• The Wise Group HEATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wise Group HEAT programme provides free, personalised energy advice and mentoring to help carers manage energy bills and access grants and vouchers.
• Community Energy PathwaysminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy advisor John Phillips provides advice on energy usage, bills, and grants at Ongar Carer Support Group.
• St Clare HospiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of West Essex Carers Connections Day with Epping Forest District Council at Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre.
• Epping Forest District CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of West Essex Carers Connections Day with St Clare Hospice at Waltham Abbey Leisure Centre.
• Kick off with a VerseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative support sessions for carers of those living with dementia and former carers adjusting, facilitated by Karinde Novellis.
• Local AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData sharing for monitoring and reviewing contracts. Local authorities refer carers and fund services.
• NHSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerData sharing relationship; NHS refers patients who are carers to the organization for support.
• JustGivingminorOthersOnline donation platform used for receiving charitable donations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Carers UK: National UK membership charity providing information, advice, and advocacy for unpaid carers. Comparable mission and beneficiary base but operates UK-wide via policy advocacy and digital channels rather than Essex-centered in-person services.
• Alzheimer's Society: National UK charity supporting people affected by dementia and their carers. Closely comparable on the dementia-focused Keeping Active / Active Minds activity groups AFFC delivers across Essex.
• Carers Trust: National UK charity and network of independent local carer-support partners, of which Action for Family Carers is a Network Partner and Centre of Excellence. Directly comparable in mission, service model, and beneficiary base; materially larger in scale and geographic reach.
• Family Action: National UK charity supporting families, including young carers, through advice, mental health services, and community-based programs. Directly comparable on the young-carers cohort AFFC serves across Essex schools.
• The Children's Society (Young Carers programme): National UK charity running young carers support services, including in-school identification and advocacy. Comparable to AFFC's Young Carer Club Nights, trips, and secondary-school referral program.
• Age UK Essex: Regional charity providing services and information for older people in Essex, including those with dementia. Overlapping beneficiary base with AFFC's Day Care and Activity Groups for older people with memory problems.

Emerging players

• Rethink Mental Illness: National charity supporting people affected by mental illness and their carers. Comparable carer-support and counselling service elements, particularly relevant given AFFC supports carers of people with mental health conditions.

Direct peers

• Crossroads Care Essex: Regional Essex charity providing respite care and short breaks for unpaid carers, directly competing with AFFC's Day Care service model and overlapping carer beneficiary base.
• Essex Carers Support: Direct local peer that delivers some support groups in partnership with Action for Family Carers across Colchester, Tiptree, Harwich, and online male carer groups. Operates in the same Essex geography with comparable carer-support services.

Regional players

• Mind (Essex): Mental health charity with local Essex branches providing support including for family members and carers. Overlaps with AFFC's counselling service and emotional support for carers of people with mental health conditions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/actionforfamilycarers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/action-for-family-carers
• Instagraminstagram.com/action4familycarers
• Xx.com/action4carers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Action For Family Carers