Our mission
Start Small Sussex is grassroots, parent-led Community Interest Company (CIC) founded by two mothers with lived experience. Rooted in compassion and community, we walk alongside families of young children with complex needs, offering connection, therapeutic support, and gentle guidance through the early years. Through shared experience, peer support, and practical resources, we help families feel less alone and more hopeful as they navigate this unexpected path.
Parents network, peer support & events
We create gentle, inclusive spaces — both in person and online — for children and parents to play, rest, and connect through activities such as coffee walks and creative or therapeutic sessions. Rooted in peer support, our community enables parents to share experiences, build in time for fun, and seek joy.
Advice, advocacy and guidance
Personalised guidance from people who have walked the same path. We offer practical support with EHCPs, referrals, appointments, grants, and navigating health and education systems. Grounded in lived experience, our approach helps families feel seen, informed, and confident as they seek the right support for their child.
Take and donate scheme
A simple way to share resources and lighten the load. Families can exchange toys, sensory equipment, and adaptive clothing, ensuring that every child has access to items that support their development and joy — and that nothing useful goes to waste.
Receive updates about our events and join families who understand your experience
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Our story
Meet Kate and Clemmie
Start Small Sussex began with two mothers, Kate and Clemmie, who met while navigating the early years of parenting medically complex children. Drawing on their experiences as a counsellor and a psychologist, they recognised how deeply parents need connection, understanding, and practical support. What started as small walks in the park grew into a grassroots, parent-led community built on compassion and lived experience. Today, Start Small offers peer support, inclusive events, and advocacy to help families feel seen, supported, and less alone. At its heart, Start Small is about turning isolation into connection, and shared experience into hope.
Sign up now and keep yourself informed!
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