Our charity was established by parent-carers in 2008 to "empower, inform and support parents and families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in West Sussex."

2026 marks the 18th anniversary of the founding of Reaching Families. To mark this milestone we are launching our first ever public appeal - Pay it Forward - and asking parents, carers, SEND families and the wider community to pay it forward to the next SEND family who need our help.

Times are tough for organisations like ours. We don't have friends in high places and don't get what we should from local government. We've tried everything we can to raise the funds we need to support the maximum number of SEND families, but still cannot keep up with demand.

Can you make a regular donation of £5 per month so we can support the next SEND family who needs our help? Or maybe make a one off donation to enable a parent to attend one of our workshops, get expert benefits advice or attend one of our support groups?

Whatever you can afford, your contribution will make a real difference to the next SEND family who need our support.