YOUNG CARERS WELLBEING FUND

We have funding available for young carers to apply for a small grant to help to improve their health and wellbeing. This grant is provided by Gateshead Council and Newcastle/Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group and is only available to young carers age 5-17 living in Gateshead.

The maximum grant is £200 and should be used for something that
- gives you a break from caring
- supports you in your caring role
- improves your health and wellbeing
- helps you to keep in touch with family and friends, or
- helps you to keep in touch with your school/college and enables you to keep up with your school/college work.

If there is more than one young carer in your home registered with us, we will consider applications from multiple siblings if they are providing significant levels of care. If one sibling is the main young carer and the others are providing much less to support, we might only offer the grant to the main young carer.

Payment for items or services will usually only be made online or by bank transfer. However, if the items or services you are requesting cost more than the maximum budget of £200 per young carer, we can consider providing you with vouchers that can be used towards the whole cost. In this case, a parent/carer will need to sign an agreement to provide proof of purchase to us.

We decide if we can give you a grant based on what you include in your application form.

When completing the section headed ‘My Outcomes’, please give as much detail as possible about how this grant will be of benefit to you. This will help us to understand the difference the grant will make.

We cannot process your application until all of your service registration and consent forms have been completed and returned to us. Please make sure you do this before submitting your application.
If you need any help filling out the application form, call us on 01207 549780 or email [email protected]

Examples of the things you can apply for:
Short Breaks and Leisure Activities

Theme park tickets
Short breaks
Items for an activity or hobby. For example, bicycle, tent, cooking equipment, craft supplies

Skills and Learning

Lessons such as music, dance, sport & fitness
Training course fees
College books and equipment
Driving lessons. However, £200 will probably not buy enough lessons to get you through your test. You must be able to demonstrate to us that you can continue paying for lessons and your test.

Tech

Mobile phones
Tablets
Laptops
Gaming consoles
TV
DVD player
Help with internet access

Health and Wellbeing

Gym membership
Fitness equipment
Hair, beauty and pampering
Bedroom makeovers, including decorating and soft furnishings
Relaxation therapies

Whitegoods

The Wellbeing Fund can be used to pay for whitegoods, such as a washing machine, if it is clear that this will directly give you a break from caring or supports you in your caring role. For example, if you are washing clothes by hand or spending a lot of time washing dishes, we might be able to help you purchase a washing machine or dishwasher. We cannot buy whitegoods simply because something has recently broken at home.

The grant cannot be used for the following

To pay for another person’s break
Day-to-day travel expenses
Household expenses or bills
Daily living costs, such as food shopping or clothes
Flights or breaks outside of the UK

Your Details

The Person You Care For

Your Grant Request

Give as much detail as possible about what you are asking for. If you want us to purchase an item, tell us the name of the shop or seller and the product code if possible. If you’re applying for a membership or lessons, give us the details of the club or group, a contact name and information about how they accept payment. If you’re applying for a break or holiday, tell us the location and your dates of travel.

My Outcomes