City Bridge Foundation widens support for carers across London with five year funding extension
Carers Trust is delighted to have been awarded a five-year funding extension to a programme that is strengthening and expanding support for unpaid carers right across London.
This partnership extension with City Bridge Foundation, which bridges London and connects communities through grant funding and progressive partnerships and alliances, could not have come at a more important time.
Over the next five years the programme will focus on strengthening London-based carer organisations within the Carers Trust network. These local partner organisations are already supporting over 100,000 carers across the capital. Ongoing funding from City Bridge Foundation means we can help our partner organisations adapt to changes in the way their services are commissioned. The funding will also bolster their ability to collect and use data to help them develop new and beneficial services for carers. And it will mean these carer organisations are able to collaborate even more on delivering services where they are needed most - to carers in underserved communities.
As well as developing new capabilities, the funding extension means our partners can build on what the programme has already achieved, most notably the fostering of links with external partners like NHS England.
This partnership has already had a huge impact on changing carers’ experience of health services for the better. It has brought together carer organisations and the NHS to co-produce the London Carers and Hospital Discharge Toolkit. This gives practical guidance to improve the experience of carers during hospital discharge .
The partnership has also developed a region-wide contingency plan for carers within the London Universal Care Plan.
Responding to news of the funding extension, Carers Trust’s Programme Manager, Janet Meehan, said:
‘We are delighted City Bridge Foundation will be continuing to support our programme over the next five years. City Bridge Foundation aims to bridge communities and connect vulnerable people in society with organisations who have the expertise to support them. This funding does just that, by making sure local carer organisations in London can provide the best support to unpaid carers in London".
