Highland-wide autism and ADHD events charity hailed as 'invaluable' after helping 322 families in 2024

Highland News & Media

A Highland-wide charity who arrange activities for families and children with neurological conditions has hailed the support of local businesses after its most successful year.

Transcript

00:00This is Me Highland are a charity who support families who have got a child with neurological

00:12conditions such as autism or ADHD or who have a child who are on the waiting list for being

00:19assessed. We have between 400 and 500 families who are supported by This is Me Highland and

00:28last year we held 191 activities where children can come and socialise and families can socialise

00:35in an environment that takes away some of the stresses and limitations that public events

00:41can hold. So we've got regular events that we hold so we've got like football sessions

00:46that we hold with Highland Ballers, we've got sessions here which are really popular

00:50which we do twice a month and we have like sessions at Frankie and Lola's but then we

00:56have one-off sessions, maybe like a cinema trip. We did a day out at Lochinch in the

01:02summer where we had the exclusive hire of their Jungle Float. 30 kids went out kayaking

01:07and then went out with their Jungle Float. So it's a complete range that we do. We try

01:13and tailor events. We try and put events on to suit all abilities. This place here, the

01:18Haven Centre in particular is one that suits everybody. We've got a sensory room, a soft

01:25play, a big ball pit and a garden. It allows them to experience things that they might

01:30not be able to experience. A lot of the kids maybe wouldn't be able to go to our Frankie

01:35and Lola sessions for instance. We cap these numbers at 20-25 kids so it makes it a lot

01:43quieter. If regular sessions are too busy it just takes the stress off that way and

01:48then it takes the stress away from the families because they can get to go to an outing like

01:52this and not feel like they have the same worries as going when it's really busy. We

02:01fundraise so that the chariot can support at least 50% of each activity and then the

02:07rest is split between the attendees who are going. Most of our funds come from fundraising.

02:14A lot of the members who themselves will try and fundraise whether that be through scratch

02:20cards or sponsored walks, charity quiz nights. We've got a Gavin and Stacey quiz night coming

02:27up in a couple of weeks. We also have really good support from local businesses who have

02:34been very generous. We've actually just been given a £1000 grant from the Scottish Children's

02:39Lottery as well. So it's a mix between fundraising ourselves and asking local businesses to help

02:46us out.

02:50For more information visit www.scotland.gov.uk

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