Care for the Carers

What Care for the Carers does

Care for the Carers is a registered charity (Charity Number 1074906, Company Number 3677361) headquartered in Eastbourne, East Sussex, that provides free support services to approximately 68,229 unpaid carers across the county, including 15,000 young carers. Founded in 1997, the organisation operates from four physical locations - Eastbourne (headquarters), Uckfield, Hastings, and Lewes - and delivers a portfolio of services encompassing one-to-one support and advice, the Time to Talk counselling programme (currently pursuing BACP accreditation), wellbeing groups, the Young Carers Service, Parent Carer support, the Carers Card discount and emergency identification scheme, and the Carers Hub information gateway. It also conducts professional training and operates the Carer Friendly Awards program targeting local employers and healthcare providers.

The organisation is structured as a non-profit with no parent company and no equity capital. Revenue is generated through three streams: charitable donations and fundraising (including JustGiving online giving and events), grants from statutory bodies (primarily East Sussex County Council, NHS Sussex) and charitable trusts (notably Carers Trust, which funds specific programmes such as Carer Money Matters), and legacy giving via Gifts in Wills. All services are provided free of charge at the point of delivery. The charity operates within a broader partnership ecosystem that includes the Carers Trust national network, Sussex Support Service CIC (co-located in Uckfield), Amaze (parent carer support groups), Community Chef, ACRES adult learning, and local healthcare partners.

Go-to-market is community-led, reaching carers through local carers centres, digital channels (website, e-newsletter, social media on Facebook, X, and Instagram), community events including Carers Week and Pride, and a professional referral network spanning GPs, hospitals, and social workers. Recognition includes the 2016 Carers Trust Centre of Excellence Award, 2017 PQASSO Quality Mark Level 2, and the 2024 BBC Make a Difference Award Surrey and Sussex. The leadership team is led by Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Twist, with Miriam Wilkinson as Head of Communities and Mark Townsend as Communities Team Leader.

Name

Care for the Carers

Legal name

Care for the Carers

Website

https://cftc.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Care for the Carers is a registered charity headquartered in Eastbourne that provides free support services to approximately 68,229 unpaid carers across East Sussex through four local carers centres, counselling, wellbeing groups, and young carers programs, funded by statutory grants, donations, and gifts in wills.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carer Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency / On-Demand Respite Care (HSABAGAD)

Keywords

• Carer support services
• Unpaid carer advocacy
• Young carers program
• Community wellbeing groups
• Charity counselling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Eastbourne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals, corporate partners, and supporters. Includes regular giving, one-time donations via JustGiving platform, and fundraising events.
2. Grants and Funding: Funding from statutory bodies including East Sussex County Council, NHS Sussex, and charitable trusts such as Carers Trust for specific programs like Carer Money Matters.
3. Gifts in Wills: Legacy giving program where supporters leave gifts to the charity in their wills.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Care for the Carers delivers free, in-person and digital support services to unpaid carers in East Sussex, including one-to-one advice and guidance, Time to Talk counselling, peer-led wellbeing/drop-in groups, an East Sussex Carers Card (emergency identification and local discounts), Young Carers activities, parent carer support, and financial guidance through Carer Money Matters. Services are delivered via four Local Carers Centres (Eastbourne, Uckfield, Hastings, Lewes), a website and online help portal, telephone support, and professional referral pathways from NHS, GPs, and social services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• East Sussex Carers Card Emergency and Discount East Sussex Carers Card providing unpaid carers with emergency identification and access to discounts across local businesses and hospitals in East Sussex.
• Young Carers Service Specialized support services for young carers including respite youth clubs, outings, activities, and dedicated support to help children and young people in East Sussex who care for family members or friends.
• Time to Talk Counselling Professional counselling service for adult unpaid carers providing emotional support and mental health assistance. Currently working towards British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) accreditation.
• Carers Hub Central point of contact providing unpaid carers in East Sussex with information, guidance, and connections to appropriate support services within the Care for the Carers network.
• Wellbeing Groups Regular informal drop-in groups for unpaid carers in East Sussex providing peer support, social connection, and activities. Peer-led with occasional carer support worker attendance.
• One-to-One Support and Advice Individualized support and guidance for unpaid carers in East Sussex addressing their specific circumstances, entitlements, and support needs.
• Carer Money Matters Financial guidance program for unpaid carers in East Sussex offering support with benefits, grants, debt, and money management, funded by Carers Trust.
• Parent Carers Support Specialized support services for parent carers of any age who care for their children with additional needs or disabilities, including support groups and respite signposting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supported over 250 local carers at Uckfield Local Carers Centre
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 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 and minor.

• Carers TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarers Trust Partner - part of the Carers Trust network providing quality-assured carer services. Care for the Carers holds Carers Trust Centre of Excellence Award.
• NHS SussexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHS Sussex Clinical Commissioning Group partnership supporting carers across East Sussex.
• East Sussex County CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain statutory funder providing funding for adult social care and carer support services.
• British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorking towards BACP accreditation for Time to Talk counselling service to recognize clinical excellence.
• Fundraising RegulatorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered with Fundraising Regulator demonstrating commitment to ethical fundraising standards.
• Sussex Support Service CICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located at Victoria Pavilion in Uckfield providing respite care services for carers. Celebrating 10 year anniversary.
• AmazecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner charity providing support groups for parent carers at Uckfield Local Carers Centre.
• Community ChefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides cooking sessions for carers as part of the activities program at Uckfield Local Carers Centre.
• ACRES (Adult College for Rural East Sussex)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides free adult learning courses for carers at Uckfield Local Carers Centre.
• The Isabel Blackman CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVibrant community leisure and wellbeing centre for the over 50s in Hastings Old Town providing free 6-month wellness passes for carers.
• Coastal WellbeingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Winter Wellness Tools and WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Planning) courses to support carers.
• Othona West Dorset CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting summer break for carers and those they care for at their community on the Dorset coast.
• Heringtons SolicitorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness partnership supporting carers, including discounts on will writing services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mind: National mental health charity providing information, advocacy, and local services including counselling. Adjacent in service mix (Time to Talk counselling) though serving a broader population than unpaid carers.
• Carers UK: UK-wide national charity providing information, advice, and policy advocacy for unpaid carers. Operates a parallel mission to Care for the Carers but at national scale, and is a key sector voice on carer rights and Carer's Allowance.
• Rethink Mental Illness: National charity supporting people affected by mental illness and their carers. Overlaps with Care for the Carers' mental-health carer support segment at national scale.
• Alzheimer's Society: National UK dementia charity that supports many of the same family carers served by Care for the Carers' Sussex Support Service partnership for Dementia and Parkinson's carers. A broader-condition incumbent that overlaps in the dementia-carer segment.
• Carers Trust: National UK network of carer support charities of which Care for the Carers is a partner. Operates at a much broader scale across the UK, providing the quality framework (Centre of Excellence Award) and policy advocacy that anchors Care for the Carers' operating model.
• Macmillan Cancer Support: National cancer-support charity with information, financial guidance, and carer support services. Comparable in offering emotional and financial support to family carers, though condition-specific to cancer.

Direct peers

• Independent Age: National older-age charity providing advice, information, and peer support to older people and their family carers — direct functional overlap with Care for the Carers' elderly-carer segment including financial guidance and wellbeing programmes.
• Crossroads Care: National network of local charities providing respite care and carer support across the UK. Most directly comparable peer given shared model of regional/local carer support centres offering respite, advice, and wellbeing services.

Regional players

• Carers Support West Sussex: Adjacent county-based carers' charity offering the same suite of services (advice, counselling, respite referrals) in neighbouring West Sussex. Strong functional comparable despite non-overlapping geography.
• Age UK East Sussex: Local Age UK branch operating in the same East Sussex geography, serving overlapping populations of older adults and their family carers. Competes for some of the same local-authority grants and donor pools within East Sussex.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Care4theCarers
• Facebookfacebook.com/careforthecarers
• Instagraminstagram.com/careforthecarers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/care-for-the-carers

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Care for the Carers