New initiative to support Sunderland's carers

As part of the initiative, more than a quarter of a million North East residents who care for a relative or loved one now have free access to a tech-powered scheme designed to provide tailored support for those with caring responsibilities.

Sunderland City Council is one of the 13 local authorities across the North East and Cumbria partnering with technology platform Mobilise to provide services like advice, tools and community networks to carers.

Mobilise is created by carers, for carers, with the aim of offering vital support with the day-to-day realities of caring. The platform gives those with caring responsibilities access to an online peer community of fellow carers, easy to use tools to help with things like accessing Carer's Allowance, and support with balancing caring with work.

Since its launch in May this year, tens of thousands of carers across the North East have used the service, and Mobilise's Carer's Allowance claim checker tool as enabled eligible unpaid carers to access Carer's Allowance worth over £475,000 annually.

Carers can access the support at support.mobiliseonline.co.uk/register-for-the-mobilise-hub

Carers are known to make up more than 10% of the population in the North East; the largest proportion of people supporting relatives or loved ones in any region across the UK. Mobilise aims to identify and connect with people in the area who have caring responsibilities but haven't previously accessed support, to ensure its available to everyone.

Sunderland City Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities, Councillor Kelly Chequer, said: "Sunderland's unpaid carers are doing an incredible job - often while balancing caring with other commitments. We recognise this and last year we launched our Carers Strategy to offer them more support.

"Partnering with Mobilise is part of our ongoing commitment to the city's carers, offering them an extra layer of support whether that's advice around Carer's Allowance or simply connecting people with shared experiences."

James Townsend, Co-Founder and CEO at Mobilise, said: "I know first-hand the difference that peer and expert support can make to caregivers. We also know that there are over a quarter of a million carers living in the North East of England who could use this support, and it's heartening to see them accessing it through Mobilise.

"Since Mobilise was rolled out by local authorities in the North East just a few months ago, our online community has welcomed carers from Sunderland and beyond. Already, we're already seeing new connections being forged between fellow carers, users of our Carers Allowance tool discovering the financial support they are entitled to, and people who have long looked after loved ones engaging with expert support for the first time. We're excited to continue this important work alongside Sunderland City Council, as one of the 13 local authorities in the region who are helping us to make enhanced, on-demand support for carers possible."