A SOUTH Gloucestershire community group will receive hundreds of thousands of pounds from the National Lottery Community Fund. 

This money will help South Gloucestershire Parents and Carers (SGPC), based in Yate, with running costs and to continue its expansion further into the community to engage with as many families as possible.

The successful bid was the result of months of behind-the-scenes hard work by the SGPC team and totals a whopping £275,000, spread over five years.

SGPC applied for funding to expand its services as a direct result of the increasing numbers of Parent Carers requesting support.

The pandemic has disrupted services, social communication, and routines, resulting in farreaching consequences for children and young people - one much-publiscised example of this is the increasing number of children struggling to attend school.

The resultant added pressure and responsibility felt by parent carers has led to increased feelings of isolation, overwhelm, anxiety, and increased requests for support. 

Some of the funding awarded will be used to expand SGPC’s existing peer support services, enabling them to reach out into communities, to engage with, and support greater numbers of parents of local children with SEND (special educational needs & disability), with the aims of providing:

  • a channel through which they can express their views to help shape future services
  • increased knowledge via training, workshops, and peer support
  • a supportive peer community where families feel listened to by members who live a similar journey, and where their views and experiences will be understood and valued
  • a parent carer community where anxiety and isolation are reduced and the capacity of parents to support their children is strengthened

SGPC are an independent community interest company supporting parent carers of children (0-25) with special educational needs / disability (SEND).

They are not part of the local authority but do partner with local service providers to help them to hear and understand the views of Parent Carers, in order to improve services.

SGPC provide information, advice, participation opportunities, events, and a supportive community for local Parent Carers and membership is free