Support in the community

Along with NHS hospitals, we also fund projects within the local community that support children and families.

Supporting children outside hospital

Whilst many of the projects we fund are in NHS hospital settings, we also support a range of other projects that take place within community settings across Sussex.

Children with learning disabilities or long-term health conditions often need extra help away from hospital, to help them live their lives to the fullest.

Supporting mental health

We support projects that aim to help children with long-term health conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, cystic fibrosis and many other long term, chronic health conditions to feel better able to manage their conditions, normalise their experiences, feel less anxious but above all, have some fun.

Children who are poorly can often feel very isolated from their peers. The inevitably have to spend time in hospital being treated which means they are away from their friends and their normal life. And even back at school they can feel different because of what they are going through. All of this can make living with a condition even harder for them.

So, we offer spaces where these children aren’t defined by their illness, where they can meet other young people with similar experiences and help them feel like their lives aren’t just defined by their illness.

These include forest school sessions, trauma informed yoga classes, art therapy sessions and sea swimming courses, all of which take place outside hospital environments.

Learning disability support

Within Sussex there are several special educational and respite centres for children with learning disabilities, challenging behaviour and autism, including Downs View school, Tudor House and Drove Road.

These amazing environments aim to help their pupils and service users to prepare for their future lives, explore social and leisure opportunities and build upon independent living skills. All vital in helping them reach their very highest potential.

Within these environments we often fund specialist play or sensory equipment that supports the work that staff do.

This equipment can help in so many ways, from offering children who may be reluctant to engage a chance to develop their communication skills and ability to interact, to providing a safe, calming space away from the structured classroom environment.

We also help specialist play centres like Seaside View Child Development Centre, by funding toys and play resources to help improve the hand and speech skills of children with additional developmental needs.