OLDER carers in Basingstoke are being encouraged to apply for a free respite trip to Sussex.

Carers aged 65 and over are being invited to apply to the NBFA Assisting the Elderly respite programme which gives older carers who are living on a low income the opportunity to secure a free break.

The break, which will take place between October 13 and October 17 at the Richardson Holiday Village, in Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex, is open to 50 people and the successful applicants will have accommodation, coach travel, food and entertainment provided free of charge.

Successful applicants will be collected by coach from pick-up points in the centres of Basingstoke, Reading, Newbury, Islington, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.

Applicants must also be reasonably mobile, be able to travel by coach and walk short distances unaided.

Sophie Hutchings, programme officer for NBFA, said: “The purpose of this programme is to enable older people to build social skills and networks, gain confidence and develop opportunities to make positive changes in their own lives.”

To apply for the scheme, visit nbfa.org.uk or call 02078 280200. Postal entries can be sent to NBFA Assisting the Elderly, 21 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0RE. The deadline to apply is September 1.