Swansea Carers Centre is a specialist voluntary organisation providing support to unpaid carers and former carers across the City & County of Swansea.

We offer information, advice and support to make life easier for the carer and the person they are looking after. We provide opportunities for to meet other carers, share experiences and work together to get things changed for the benefit of everyone.

All our services are completely free and confidential.

History

In April 2005, with the support of the local authority, SCVS and Age Concern Swansea, Swansea Carers Centre became an independent charity intent on providing a holistic service for all adult carers across the City & County of Swansea. Since then we have grown and diversified our services while successfully responding and adapting to the ever changing challenges facing us.

As such we remain grateful for the support we receive from all our funders and remain mindful that without the core funding we receive from the local authority it would be difficult for us to successfully draw down funding from other sources.

As we strive to maintain and develop our services during this difficult economic climate, we remain committed to providing quality services which meet the needs of carers and which have been externally accredited. This includes Investors in Volunteers and Charity Excellence Framework.

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Board of Trustees

Swansea Carers Centre is governed by a Board of Trustees.

Ultimately our Board of Trustees is responsible for ensuring that the charity, and everyone working for it, operates within an increasingly complex legal framework. Each Trustee is an unpaid volunteer with particular skills and experience.

• Jane Davidson – Chair:

Jane was born and brought up in Swansea but moved to study Zoology at Southampton University. After leaving university she began her working life as a medical research assistant with British Heart Foundation. She later turned to teaching and enjoyed many years in the classroom teaching students aged 16+. She moved into education research and gained a master’s degree in education and a postgraduate research qualification with Open University. Before retirement, she worked as a project manager and interim manager initially as part of a company and later in a self-employed capacity.

• Gillian Stephens – Vice Chair:

Gill has a background in health care and experience as a senior civil servant including Deputy Chief Nursing Officer for England. She has held several NHS Executive posts, was a former Non-Executive of Swansea NHS Trust, is a trustee /patron of several charities and has been a Trustee of Swansea Carers centre for over 12years. She has a strong commitment to developing carer services within the area having been a carer to elderly parents.

• Dave Burgess MBE – Vice Chair

• Bryn Williams – Treasurer:

Bryn retired in 2004 following a career in Local Government finance mostly in Swansea. For the last 8years of his working life as an accountant, he had responsibility for the Social Services budget in the City of Swansea. There he gained an insight into some of the issues that affect voluntary organisations as well as having practical experience in the administration of local charities. He has been a Trustee and Treasurer of the Carers Centre since 2006.

• Frank Ramsay – Trustee

• Sonia Thomas – Trustee:

Sonia has served as a Trustee of Swansea Carers Centre since 2011. She has a background in social care having worked for the Local Authority Social Services department for many years. She was responsible for managing the teams of social workers based in local hospitals and for the interface between health and social services at an operational and more strategic level. She has personal experience of caring having been the main carer for her elderly mother in the latter years of her life.

• Sue Davies – Trustee

• Byron Fussell – Trustee

• Kathryn Price – Trustee