Our Impact 2024-2025
Welcome to Amaze’s impact report for 2024-2025. This year, we have once again produced a digital impact report.
Below you will see some of our highlights of the year and our year in figures. You’ll be able to watch a video with our CEO, Sally Polanski highlighting some of our work.
You will also be able to read some brief text about our new strategy, which was produced using feedback from young people, families and professionals.
Video Transcript
Welcome to Amaze’s Impact report for 2024 to 2025.
On this webpage you will see some of the highlights of our year.
You’ll also be able to read about our performance in numbers as well as our finances and hear some stories from our community.
We have had a great year, and we’re excited to share some of the highlights with you.
As Chief Executive, I want to give my thanks to everyone at Amaze – our staff, volunteers and trustees – for all they do. It’s these people who’ve made this happen.
Despite this joy and celebration, it’s important to reflect on where our community is too. It has been a year of upheaval, with proposed reforms to benefits, the SEND system, ECHPs and added devolution on top.
We don’t know what all of this means yet, but what we do know is it creates uncertainty and worry. We continue to lobby local MPs and local public services for the changes our community need.
Finally, I want to thank everyone who took part in the process of producing Amaze’s new five year strategy. Details on our new strategy are included on this webpage.
It sets out what Amaze will do over the next five years, following feedback from young people, parent carers and the people Amaze work with.
By working towards this strategy, we can ensure Amaze will be there for the people who need us, now and in the future.
I hope you enjoy reading our Impact Report and thank you for watching.
Our year in numbers
18
Average number of referrals per working day for our SEND information, advice and support service (SENDIASS)
93
Young people given specialist careers advice
1,376
new Compass Cards issued
631
Navigation calls for families on the pathway for a neurodevelopmental condition
54
New members of the Brighton & Hove Parent Carers Council (PaCC) bringing the total to over 700
149
Parent carer peer support groups held
2,841
Members of our Parent Groups and Befriending service
222
Young people supported by our Amazing Futures service
£1.9million
The value of claims from people helped by our benefits advice service, equating to lifetime value of more than £11.5m
1,033
Number of referrals for our benefits advice service – the first time it’s been over 1000
2,979
The number of people helped by SENDIASS
137
New members of East Sussex Parent Carers Forum (ESPCF) bringing the total to over 1000
130
volunteers supporting Amaze
58
Languages spoken at home by people who use Amaze’s services
130
parents receiving support from a befriender
Highlights of the year
We support over 7,000 families every year with information, advice and support. Every day we make a positive difference for local families. Here are just some of the things we’re most proud of from the last year.
New parent groups
We started new parent groups this year. We now have a group supporting families with children with complex needs and/or profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD). We also launched a new dads group in Eastbourne. This group joins our successful dads group in Brighton, ensuring more dads can meet to discuss the challenges of caring for a child with SEND, helping them to feel more connected and supported.
New office in Eastbourne
We moved into a new base in Eastbourne, sharing the space with Breatheasy and iRock (part of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Sussex). We now have rooms where our young people’s groups can meet, alongside our office space. It’s great to have a regular location that young people are familiar with and comfortable in and have made their own. Young people have made new friends, grown in confidence and feel part of the community. We also use this group space to offer workshops for parents and carers too.
Youth Voice Day
We held our first Youth Voice Day in Eastbourne. We collected young people’s feedback on Amaze and other services, to fulfil our commitment to be youth-led. We considered the feedback on Amaze when developing our new strategy. We are planning to hold more of these days in the future.
Young people and staff at our first Youth Voice Day in Eastbourne
A family who attended our Eastbourne family fun day
First East Sussex Family Fun Day
Thanks to funding from East Sussex County Council, we were able to offer a free family fun day in Eastbourne for the first time. Joining our successful annual Brighton & Hove Fun Day, the event provided a full day of fun and activities for families with disabled children. It took place during the summer holidays.
Launched Compass online forms
The Compass Card for 0-17 year olds can now be applied for online. Previously all applications were done on a paper form. By offering online applications, we’ve made it easier for people to apply for a card and access leisure discounts. We’ve also reduced the time spent on data entry. We’re also developing an online form for 18–25-year-olds.
New fundraising events
As part of our plans to diversify our income, we trialled new fundraising events during the year. We held a Firewalk (in Brighton) and a Christmas Fair (in Lewes) for the first time, raising over £14,000. This year, we live-streamed Big Cheer to increase access and income.
NHS England award
Our ND Family Support Service was recognised as an example of good partnership working between health services and the voluntary sector at the NHS England Best Practice Health Partnership in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Celebration 2025. The award acknowledges the impact the ND Family Support Service has had in supporting local families who are waiting for an assessment (or post assessment) for autism, ADHD or other neurodevelopmental differences.
SEND conference
We held a SEND conference at the University of Sussex in November. This event brought together professionals and parent carers to discuss their priorities and help develop Amaze’s new strategy.
New websites
In Spring 2024, we launched our new website. The new website features easily accessible information and advice for parent carers, as well as information on the support we have available. This makes it easier for people to get help. Separately, we’ve been working on a specialist website for young people too.
Sav Kanagasundaram (ND Family Training & Navigation Service Manager) collecting the NHS England award
Our strategy
Throughout the year, we spoke to people across our community about the future of Amaze. Over 200 people responded – either through attending our consultation events or by completing our survey, helping to co-produce our new strategy for 2025-2030.
Our new strategy sets out our high-level goals and ambitions. It reflects what local families with children and young people with SEND told us they want from Amaze.
Going into 2025-26 and beyond, we are now focussed on four overarching priorities. We will:
- Help parent carers, young people and families navigate the SEND maze and feel less alone
- Support young people now and for their future into adulthood
- As leaders and trusted partners, influence and drive positive development of the SEND system in Sussex
- Develop Amaze as an organisation to be effective, resilient and sustainable
You can read more information on our strategy at the links below.
Speakers at the Amaze AGM and SEND Conference where parts of the strategy were co-produced
Finances and Fundraising
Amaze’s services are free thanks to the support of many people in our local community and beyond. Most of our money comes from public service contracts and grants. But we know that we need to grow our funding and where it comes from. This means we can support the increasing number of people who need us.
Thank you to the following organisations and individuals who gave contributions over £1000 this year:
Brighton & Hove City Council; East Sussex County Council; NHS Sussex; B&H Soiree Rotary Club; The Blagrave Trust; Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust; Friarsgate Trust; Garfield Weston Foundation; The Henry Smith Charity; Paul Hamlyn Foundation; The Pebble Trust; Peter Harrison Foundation; Sussex Community Foundation; Sir Jules Thorn Trust; Spectris Foundation
Thank you
The work described in this report is made possible by our incredible staff team who continue to go above and beyond. Many of our staff are also caring for a disabled child at home or have their own additional needs.
We are also supported by a large family of volunteers who give us their experience and commitment for free. Though we cannot thank all our volunteers individually here, we’re truly grateful for all they do to help Amaze support families.
