|
When you picture Rye and Winchelsea, you might imagine the endless stretch of beach and coastline, the shifting shingle and dunes, the cobbled lanes lined with thatched cottages, and the charm of a historic Sussex town. It’s every bit as beautiful as it sounds.
But behind this postcard-perfect landscape lies a very different story.
Rye Deanery covers about 100 square miles — from Camber to Fairlight and across to the Kent border — a region of rolling countryside, winding lanes, and rural isolation. Yet in this same area are communities facing some of the highest levels of deprivation in the Diocese.
In some local schools, one in three children have additional needs, and far more receive free school meals than the national average. For many families, daily life means coping with unreliable transport, unaffordable rents driven up by holiday lets, damp or mouldy housing, long commutes to work, and limited access to affordable food and support networks.
This is where Family Support Work steps in. Our practitioners walk alongside families weathering the toughest storms. We help parents navigate complex systems: from advocating for children with special educational needs, to attending school meetings, and completing forms and referrals to access the help they deserve. We provide emergency food and clothing, assist with fuel vouchers, and ensure families have the essentials to get through each week.
One father we supported found himself suddenly caring for his children alone after their mother left due to mental health struggles. He had to give up his job, his home, and his community. With FSW’s help, he found the strength to rebuild stability for his family, to recover, re-group and re-root his life on solid ground.
Another mother lived for years in a damp, overcrowded flat, sleeping on the sofa and growing increasingly isolated. Her children’s health suffered, school attendance dropped, and the family risked losing everything. FSW helped her reconnect with vital services, access better housing, and rediscover hope.
The story of Rye’s changing coastline reflects the lives of these families. Once thriving ports, Rye and Old Winchelsea were shaped and destroyed by storms and shifting seas, yet they rebuilt and evolved. Families too can recover and rebuild, given the right support and compassion.
Gill Sutton, Family Support Practitioner for Rye
|
