Northern Ireland’s health minister Robin Swann has announced the allocation of more than £1 million in the second round of grants from the Support for Carers Fund.

Following assessment, 22 organisations and charities providing support for carers across Northern Ireland are receiving just over £1 million to help with a range of projects which will directly support individual carers. It’s part of a wider package of funding made available in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to support carers, cancer charities and mental health organisations.

The latest awards from the £4.4 million Support for Carers Fund follow the allocation of almost £600,000 in the first round of funding, announced last September.

Swann said: “I am delighted to be able to announce another round of funding awards under the Support for Carers Fund. When I launched the fund last year my focus was to support projects which would make a real difference to the lives of individual carers, on the ground. There’s a great mix of projects receiving funding, the provision of practical support, wellbeing events, respite, advocacy support, and mental health support. Projects also cover both adult and young carers. I look forward to seeing how they make a difference in the lives and experiences of individual carers in the coming months and years.

“I want to pay tribute to the many thousands of people in Northern Ireland who help look after a family member or friend without financial reward. Put simply, the health service could not cope without them and we owe them a debt of gratitude, particularly for their tremendous sacrifices, hard work and dedication during the past two years of the pandemic.”

The fund is being administered and managed by the Community Foundation NI on behalf of the province’s Department of Health and aims to provide grant funding to organisations with charitable status that can deliver outcomes to improve the lives and experiences of carers.

Róisín Wood, chief executive at the Community Foundation said: “We know that there has been enormous pressure on carers as a result of the pandemic which will have impacted their physical, mental and emotional health. We are pleased to award this much needed funding to groups who will now be able to offer support and respite to these carers who contribute such a huge amount to society.”