ADHD WISE UK want to refurbish 8 Silver Street, Wellingborough (left)
An online appeal is under way to help a community interest company deliver essential help to young people and adults with neurodiverse conditions.
Neurodiversity expert Jannine Perryman is appealing for help to raise £16,000 to refurbish a building in Silver Street, Wellingborough. It was targeted by vandals, causing the delay to the opening of a base for ADHD WISE UK to deliver training, coaching, counselling and occupational therapy for learners with additional needs.
The organisation has been providing support and services across the UK since 2016. “We have long since had a dream to open a neurodiversity hub where those with conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, tics and Tourette’s can be provided with support from people who know what it is like to live with these challenges,” says Jannine.
Now those plans have been put back after vandals smashed the glass door of the building earmarked for use by Jannine and her team, giving them no option but to have to pay for repairs.
“We were forced to pay for repairs and have been given no option but to install CCTV,” says Jannine. “When added to our original costs of refurbishing the building so that it is fit for use, it all mounts up and we need help to be able to deliver our services from a central base.
“Having a base will help us to deliver community projects and life skills for people with neurodiverse conditions, for example money workshops. There is so much we want to be able to do for our neurodiverse community.”
ADHD WISE UK receives no central funding and nationally there are only four local authorities that fund its services to support their constituents.
“Unfortunately, Northamptonshire is not currently one of them but we do hope to change that,” says Jannine. “Options are available to help everyone who needs our support but first we need yours.”
She believes that, without access to specialist help, more children are at risk of being excluded from school.
“A lack of Special Educational Needs and Disability training for new and experienced teachers, a limited professional experience of attendance difficulties and an ever changing, narrowing curriculum coupled with constraints on time and resources can mean that children do not receive the early interventions they need.
“When it comes to poor attendance schools and local authorities need to be looking beyond the absence for the reason behind it asking ‘Why are they refusing to attend school?’ Or ‘Why are they unable to attend?’
“Schools have clear, high expectations for attendance so persistent absence is a clear cause for concern not only for the school and Ofsted but also for the child’s educational outcomes.”
Crowdfunding page here: bit.ly/3HP2rzo