partner organisations
PaCC works with seven partner organisations who provide services or support to parents of children with additional needs and/or disabilities in Brighton & Hove.
Brighton Pebbles
Brighton Pebbles began as a small community group but has grown to a registered charity. They support families with disabled children who live in Brighton & Hove.
They run a weekly drop-in and organize weekend and holiday activities and short breaks for the whole family. Brighton Pebbles committee and membership is restricted to families with disabled children.
Brighton Pebbles is for children with any disability. However, they especially want to include children who find it difficult to access mainstream activities, for instance, those with severe autism or challenging behaviour. Brighton Pebbles know how difficult and lonely it is to be excluded from the sort of everyday activities that most families take for granted. The charity aims to offer a place to feel supported and understood and a space for children to play and have fun.
Brighton Pebbles have a private Facebook group for parent carers, to join click here.
Contact: Lisa
Tel: 07506 105265
Email: [email protected]
T21 Brighton
T21 Brighton & Hove offers friendship & support for children & young people with Trisomy 21/Down Syndrome and their families.
They run monthly preschool meet ups, info sessions, social & sporting activities. Their private Facebook group for parents/carers and adults with T21 is our virtual HQ for sharing events, ideas and information. We look forward to meeting you!
Contact: Pippa Hodge
Tel: 07930 418298
Email: [email protected]
Amaze parent groups and befriending
Amaze Parent support groups and befriending run regular, informal support groups across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex for parents of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They also offer one-to-one befriending for those parents who need more individual support.
You can drop in to any of their regular, friendly groups across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex – no need to book. At their groups, you’ll meet other parents and carers who know what it’s like to bring up kids with additional needs.
Amaze Parent support groups and befriending also offer one-to-one befriending for parents who need a bit more individual support, perhaps around the time of their child’s diagnosis or when they are going through other challenges. The volunteer befrienders are all parents of children with additional needs themselves. They are trained and supervised by Amaze.
Contact: Louise Howe
Tel: 07983 598672
Email: [email protected]
Fresh Youth Perspectives
Fresh Youth Perspectives (FYP) is a community group in Brighton established in 2018, focusing on the well-being of young people, particularly those from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds.
The group aims to encourage parental involvement and educate local services about the needs of excluded young people, advocating for their rights and promoting positive change in their lives. FYP also works to improve educational outcomes and reduce exclusions for young people facing challenges.
Presently the group links with aspirational skilled mentoring for improved outcomes for our local Youth in the community and educational setting, in partnership with Mentivity
Contact: Caroline, Mari or Alicja
Email: [email protected]
mASCot
mASCot is a parent led peer to peer support network for families with autistic children, whether that’s from the point of recognising it may be autism, being on the diagnostic pathway or with a full diagnosis. mASCot brings families together and enables them to connect with others in similar situations as themselves.
mASCot offers many opportunities for families to learn, socialise, access therapies and to take part in activities that are all specially geared for families with autistic children & young adults.
mASCot is all about celebrating the wonderfully diverse families and allowing our children to be themselves whilst learning the skills to grow and thrive in the world as well as supporting parents in this sometimes-difficult journey.
Contact: Sam
Email: [email protected]
The Dads Group
The Dads Group was set up 11 years ago in the hope of bringing fathers of children with additional needs and disabilities together, to meet and talk about issues that surround their family’s lives. Most importantly, to engage with each other through general conversation and shared laughter with other dads who just get the tough situation that life has dealt to them and their families.
The group holds a physical meeting on the last Thursday of every month at The Stoneham Pub, Hove. Dads carers lives can be hard, stressful and mentally draining at times, but there are other fathers in similar circumstances, so it can really help to get together and share experiences.
If you feel like this group could help you or would like to get to know other dads who understand what it’s like, then join one of their monthly meet up or contact Darren for more information.
Contact: Darren Walker
Email: [email protected]
CHSWG
Children’s Hearing Services Working Group
This Brighton and Hove based multi-agency group, includes parent representatives, working together to maintain and improve services for deaf children and their families. They aim to look at current provision for deaf children in health, education and social care, and to develop the range of services used to make them more effective and family friendly.
Currently represented in the group are: parents, new-born screening services, audiology, paediatrician, sensory needs team, speech and language therapy, National Deaf Children’s Society, and the community audiology service.
Contact: Sul Regan Sensory Needs Team (Deafness) – Current Chair
Email: [email protected]