Update on 18th Anniversary Appeal

Smile Support & Care is delighted to announce that their 18th Anniversary Appeal to raise £3.2m for building and equipping an eight bedroom short break respite care facility is progressing very well indeed. So far we have raised just over £1.7m in pledged and banked income. We are very excited that new plans are in place to expand the centre to provide daily activities for local children and young people with disabilities, thus utilising the centre 24 hours a day.

The centre will be build in response to the findings of Smile Support & Care since establishment in 1994, along with specially commisioned market research; respite is the service most often requested by family care givers, yet it is in critically short supply.  Families become exhausted with the unremitting nature of caring for a child with a potentially life limiting disability.  More often than not these families also live in the most deprived areas of Hampshire and West Sussex and simply cannot afford to pay for care.  From experience we understand that the repercussions of neglect of the carers themselves can lead to serious health and family breakdown, directly associated with the stress of continuous care provision.

Smile Support and Care understand the two-fold requirements for respite care comprising firstly a temporary break from the often emotionally and physically draining challenges faced by the parent or carer.  Secondly the opportunity to stay in a high quality facility which has all the safety features fitted as standard and with the advantage of round the clock professional support.