My personal journey has been one of resilience and determination. It’s this journey that led me to establish Holding Space, an award-winning East Sussex-based charity that offers parent/carer peer support to families whose children and young people are experiencing mental and/or emotional health difficulties.

The catalyst for creating the charity was the distinct lack of support I faced as a mum dealing with my daughter’s mental health struggles. As a parent, I felt like a failure; I was meant to protect my daughter. Yet, I had no one who could help. I couldn’t share my concerns with friends or colleagues; I felt so alone. Parenting does not come with a bible and we often feel judged. We think everyone else has got it right and are perfect parents!

In 2019, I set up a Facebook page, hoping there was an understanding shoulder to cry on. The response was incredible. Parents started sharing their stories, and it was clear there was a critical gap in support. Holding Space was born out of this need. Almost seven years later, I lead a charity supporting over 1,400 families across Sussex. But the need is clear and continues to grow.

The vision of Holding Space is a world where no parent feels they have to navigate their child’s mental health journey alone. Our goal is to ensure that every parent and carer across Sussex feels heard, supported, and confident in navigating their children's emotional and mental health challenges.

Our mission is to support and empower parents and ensure that they have the tools and knowledge to support their children. Early intervention is crucial to the mental health of future generations.

The need in Sussex

Across Sussex, over 7,000 children and young people wait for mental health assessments, with the average wait time in East Sussex for an intervention being two to three years. The consequences of this are evident: East Sussex hospital admissions for self-harm during 2023 were significantly worse than the England average and in the 25% worst percentile.  

These challenges are also highlighted in Sussex Community Foundation’s recent Improving Health report, which found that young people in disadvantaged areas of the county are more likely to experience overlapping challenges, including high levels of caring responsibility, disability and mental health need.

The issues we hear from parents are varied, from anxiety and self-harm to waiting for assessments for autism diagnosis or school struggles. The emotional and practical impact is profound; parents feel inadequate and unsupported by statutory services. Many are forced to give up work to care for their child, which impacts family finances.

Supporting the whole family

When parents feel empowered, seen, listened to and connected, they are better able to support their children and look after their own wellbeing. Early intervention and support are crucial and we must do more to support families.

Funding, however, remains a constant challenge. Many charities are facing similar pressures, having to reduce their services or close. The voluntary sector is bridging gaps created by funding cuts and pressure on statutory services. To provide the best support and care for our communities, we need to embrace partnerships and co-production, ensuring that professionals, funders and those with lived experience work collaboratively.

My passion for supporting parents and carers extends to my consultancy, which offers workshops to businesses on “Why Supporting Parents and Carers in the Workplace Matters”. As a single mum, I know firsthand the struggles of balancing work and caregiving. When my daughter was in crisis, I had no choice but to leave my job to support her. This experience highlighted the urgent need for greater employer understanding during personal and family crises.  

Charities like Holding Space exist so that no parent has to face these challenges alone, but meaningful change requires working together. By bridging the gap between lived experience and community support, we have an opportunity to build a Sussex where every parent feels empowered and every child is given the chance to thrive.

Find out more about working with Hansa, the workshops or the charity.