South East Support Groups

We have been informed about the following list of current support groups. Please do ring the named contact if you wish to confirm details including meeting hours. Please note that unless a named Family Rights Group contact is provided, the groups and organisations listed below are run independently of Family Rights Group and we are not responsible for their activities.

Family Rights has published a guide on good practice in setting up local kinship care support groups. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a copy. If you wish to attend a group, rather than set one up, you may still find the guide useful.

Organisation	Bexhill & Sidley Family & Friends Support Group
Contact name	Ann Tucker
Contact Telephone number	07957 970 799
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	It is for all Family & Friends carers in the area. Children are welcome.
Where does the group meet?	Sidley
Who runs the group?	Run independently but supported by Sidley Children’s Centre
How often does the group meet?	Third Thursday of the month (10am - 12pm)

Organisation	Brighton and Hove Kinship support group
Contact name	Melanie Rowland
Contact Telephone number	For information about either group 01273 296069
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	All family and friends carers
Where does the group meet?	1) Family and Friends Team, Moulsecoomb Hub South, Brighton, BN2 4SE. Monthly on a Wednesday morning between 10.20am and 12pm. 2) Kinship Carers and Under 5's (pre-school) Children. This will be monthly on a Friday from 10am until 12pm. This will take place at The Mouslecoomb Children's Centre, Hodshrove Lane, Brighton BN2 4SE
Who runs the group?	Brighton & Hove City Council

Organisation	Grandparents as Parents
Contact name	Sue Grimer or Jeanette Lane
Contact Telephone number	01323 638474 or 01323 463010
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	Grandparents
Where does the group meet?	Eastbourne
Who runs the group?	The group is supported by Children's Services Family Plus Team and Age Concern Eastbourne
How often does the group meet?	Third Thursday of every month

Organisation	Grandparents Support Group (run by Family Plus Team - East Sussex Children's Services)
Contact name	Mel Sorrenti
Contact Telephone number	01323 463 010 (Family Plus Team)
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	Grandparents who are the main carers for their grandchildren.
Where does the group meet?	Battle - East Sussex
How often does the group meet?	Second Wednesday of every month

Organisation	Hastings Family and Friends Support Group
Contact name	Ann Tucker
Contact Telephone number	07957 970 799
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	Grandparents, family members or family friends who are the main carers for the children, Childern are welcome
Where does the group meet?	Hastings - East Sussex
How often does the group meet?	Fouth Thursday of each month (10am - 12pm)

Organisation	Kent Kinship care, East Kent
Contact name	Paula Pawley-Smith
Contact Telephone number	07510 095 610
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	All Family and friends carers
Where does the group meet?	Canterbury and Ramsgate
How often does the group meet?	Canterbury 1st Friday of the month Ramsgate 1st Monday of the month

Organisation	Kent Kinship care, North Kent and Medway
Contact name	Cassie Felton
Contact Telephone number	Cassie 07825 233 557
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	All Family and friends carers
Where does the group meet?	The Sunlight Centre, Gillingham
How often does the group meet?	Last Friday of each month

Organisation	Grandparents and Family/Friends Support Group
Contact name	Stephanie Salter
Contact Telephone number	07825 380113
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	All Family and friends carers
Where does the group meet?	Little Forest Children's Centre, Tunbridge Wells, TN2 3UA
How often does the group meet?	Meets on the first Wednesday of each month, time 9.45 – 11.45am

Contact name	Karon Jennings
Contact Telephone number	01525 753 422
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	All family and friends carers including grandparents who are the main carers of their grandchildren or who are experiencing Court Proceedings for Care, Residence or Contact Orders
Where does the group meet?	Kents Hill Community Centre, Firthwood Crescent, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes, MK7 6HQ
How often does the group meet?	Every Tuesday during Term Time from 10.00am - 12.00 noon

Organisation	A Second Chance
Contact name	Sally Creavin
Contact Telephone number	01795 662 822
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	All family and friends carers, but at the moment is is all Grandparents that attend
Where does the group meet?	Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent
Who runs the group?	Family Action
How often does the group meet?	On Wednesday mornings (term time only)

Organisation	West Sussex County Council
Contact name	Jane Brown, Families and Friends Project, Drug and Alcohol Action Team
Contact Telephone number	The Families and Friends Project on 01243 382 940 The PATCHED helpline is open 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm on 0800 085 4450
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	People affected by someone else's drinking or drug use, including family and friends carers
Where does the group meet?	There is a support group that meets in Southwick once a month. There are also the following drop-ins:
	The Place drop in - Worthing 24 Marine Place Worthing (next to the Yoga Centre) Anytime between 5.30 and 7pm every Tuesday Park Barn drop in - Horsham North Street, Horsham (behind New Park House) Anytime between 5.30 and 7pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday in the month The Hub drop in - Bognor The Hub Community Centre, on the corner of Queensway, Canada Grove, Bognor Anytime between 1.00 and 2.30pm every Thursday lunchtimes The Orchard drop in - Crawley Gleneagles Court, Brighton Road Southgate, Crawley Anytime between 12.30 and 2.00pm on Monday lunchtimes Friends and Family Support - Southwick The Corner House, 45 Southwick Street (opposite Southwick Community Centre and Barn Theatre) Meet on the first Thursday of every month, from 7.30 - 9.00pm

Organisation	Informal Family Care – supporting kinship carers in West Sussex
Contact name	Lisa Veness
Contact Telephone number	01243 642 650
Contact email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Who is the group for?	The support group is for Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and Older Sibling caring for a child/young person, where the arrangement has been made by the family rather than the Local Authority. We also support families where a Residence order or Child Arrangement Order is in place.
Where does the group meet?	We run groups for kinship carers that run for 8 weeks and then provide continued support for families in the form of a monthly Drop-In's. Monthly Drop-Ins currently run in 8 eight areas of West Sussex including Shoreham, Worthing, Crawley, Burgess Hill, Chichester and Bognor.
Additional Info:	For more details please contact us.

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