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Scottish Autism in partnership with the National Autistic Taskforce are delighted to host an online launch event on Wednesday 5th April from 11am - 12.15pm, to showcase our new AutNav app, specifically created for autistic individuals.

The app has been developed in line with the vision of the late Dr Dinah Murray, who was passionate about supporting the rights of autistic individuals with profound communication difficulties, often supported in long-term residential care, and saw AutNav as a method to enable individuals to communicate their interests, and interact with friends and wider family.

AutNav is an app that brings together an individual's favourite content, and keeps it all in one place. It was developed so that autistic people, including those in supported settings, could have more autonomy, and more easily use technology to pursue their interests and keep in touch with friends and family.

The app works by creating shortcuts to the individual's chosen content, so that they have easy access to:

The music they want to listen to

The videos they want to see

The people they want to speak to

The websites they want to visit

AutNav is highly customisable, so individuals can modify it to suit their needs and preferences. It lets them organise their content in a way that makes sense to them, pick their favourite colour theme, and choose how much information they can see at once. They can also hide individual features depending on how they would like to interact with AutNav.

AutNav is specifically designed to work with the accessibility features already available on an individual's device. It supports both light and dark mode, and is compatible with a range of different text sizes.

We have been able to support the development of the AutNav app following a generous legacy gift to Scottish Autism.

Come along and join us to find out more about AutNav and learn how this could help give the individuals you support more autonomy over their choices.
Register Now

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Scottish Autism in partnership with the National Autistic Taskforce are delighted to host an online launch event on Wednesday 5th April from 11am - 12.15pm, to showcase our new AutNav app, specifically created for autistic individuals.

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Sisters of Frida- Disabled Women's Organisation

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Sisters of Frida- Disabled Women's Organisation

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This was published in December 2022

Sisters of Frida is the only disabled women's collective in the UK. Over the years we've connected with many different groups and shifted conversations on intersectionality. Our work has been incremental to both the feminist and disability rights movement in the UK. We are radical, we do cross-movement solidarity work.

Some of our work include:
- shifting the narrative on disabled women rights with our work on shadow reports for various UN Committees (CEDAW, CRPD for example)
- helping to lobby government policy on domestic violence.
- organising peer to peer support events for disabled women & gender non-confirming people- campaigning alongside other disabled-led on numerous issues eg welfare cuts
- reporting on the impact on disabled women & gender non-conforming experiences during Covid-19.

We're at a crucial stage where we need funding to develop our structure.

Can you help us?

By making a one off end of year donation to us, you can help us grow. To do so, just click on the link below:

I'm supporting Sisters of Frida.

We're also open to receiving help in other ways. Perhaps via blogging, social media volunteering or some support. If there's anything else you'd like to do, we're open to it. We're also keen to receive movement building & fundraising advice. Just drop us and email at hello@sisofrida.org

Donate to Sisters of Frida

We will continue to focus on disabled women's issues. We wish you a festive season. We hope you stay warm, safe and well wherever you might be. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to contribute - hello@sisofrida.org

from the SOF team

Long description: A water colour painting of a white woman with her back to view. She is at a corner, she has her hands on each side of the walls. Her hair is in a bun and she has a visible scar on her back. She is wearing white under pants. The walls are greyish. There are leaves on the sides of the image.

Gratitude to Barbara Hulme for this image. Instagram @Barbara.hulme

This article was originally on medium.com by Rachel O'Brien July 2022

All too often, claims of "disability equality" are used to undermine the pro-choice movement. The most recent example in the UK is Heidi Crowter's court case to make abortion law even more restrictive by removing the disability discrepancies. Ahead of the hearing at the Court of Appeal on the 13th of July, I want to talk about disability, decriminalisation and why this court case is a terrible idea for human rights.

Disability and Decriminalisation

Any claims of equality in restricting abortion access are absolute crap.

Leaving aside for one moment the motivations of the people behind the lawsuit - I'll get back to those in a minute - they claim that they want to change the 1967 Abortion Act so that it no longer singles out foetuses with impairments and allows a longer period of time in which a termination can be obtained. Currently, section 1(1)d of the UK's 1967 Abortion Act allows termination of a pregnancy at any time if there is a significant risk of the baby being born seriously disabled. Under other circumstances abortion has to take place during the first 6 months of the pregnancy.

Fine. I agree. There is blatant discrimination in the Act, which feeds into discourse around the lack of value disabled lives have in our society and the idea that it's better to be dead than disabled.

But restricting the law even further is not the only way to address this discrimination. As a feminist, I believe restricting abortion access is a misguided solution to prejudice against disabled people.

Those who cite equality to argue against the right to terminate a pregnancy are committing a logical error. This argument presumes that a foetus enjoys personhood, a position which is incompatible with UK law. In countries where foetuses are granted personhood and their rights are enshrined in law, abortion access is denied.

Decriminalisation of abortion is the only way to remove the disability discrepancies which exist under the current legislation, in a way that also ensures the human rights of people that can get pregnant.

If the state decriminalised abortion, it would no longer have to provide a list of "acceptable" reasons for a termination, and all the arbitrary timelines for when a termination can take place could be thrown out the window. The decision as to when and why to terminate a pregnancy should be exclusively down to the person who is pregnant. The only reason that should be needed is that a person no longer wishes to be pregnant.

Of course this doesn't mean that some people won't choose to terminate if they find out their foetus is likely to have an impairment, but to quote the Special Rapporteur on Disability: "...while the issue of disability-selective abortion requires greater attention, solutions must not compromise the right of all women, including women with disabilities, to decide whether or not they want to continue with a pregnancy. As interventions against sex-selective abortions have shown, abortion bans and restrictions on the use of technologies are not only detrimental to women's rights but also ineffective."

I would add that it's none of our business why someone would choose to get a termination, and I am not interested in any proposed solution that interrogates why someone makes a personal, medical decision.

Abortion does not cause the oppression of disabled people. At worst, it is a blunt tool by which already existing oppressive social relations are reproduced. If we actually want to tackle the oppression disabled people face, a more effective way would be to eliminate poverty and ensure good public services for all. In all likelihood, that would mean a lot of foetuses with impairments would become children with impairments because their parents would actually have the means to raise them.

There is also a much broader discussion needed on the way that screening and genetic testing is used and the way information is presented to parents. Technology and medicine are not ethically neutral and both can, and have, been used in reproductive healthcare to advance eugenicist views. While that is a massive article in its own right, it would be a better starting point for a discussion on abortion and disability than proposing further restrictions on terminations. Abortion itself is not the issue, and restrictions on abortion law do nothing to tackle disability discrimination.

The core principles of the disabled people's and pro-choice movements are the same. At the European Network on Independent Living's Freedom Drive, one of the most popular chants is "What do we want? Choice and control!". Independent living, one of the pillars of the disabled people's movement, requires us to be able to make decisions about our own day-to-day lives, our bodies and the policies which govern our existence. Bodily autonomy is an essential to fulfilling that principle. No person or state should be making decisions about another person's body.

The disabled people's movement can't claim to be pro-choice if we only allow reproductive decisions that we think are okay. Being pro-choice means giving individuals the power over their own body even when we don't like the decision they are making.

The Heidi Crowter Case

I have seen multiple supporters of the lawsuit claim that restricting abortion is the only way to get rid of the disability discrepancies in the law. As shown above, this is not true, and does beg the question - why would you not do a google as to your campaigning options before shitting all over the human rights of about half the population? There are long running campaigns to decriminalise abortion in the UK, which have only become more prominent since abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland in 2019.

I find it hard to believe that a group of people that have been very effectively campaigning and lobbying for a change to the law, and who have navigated the incredibly bureaucratic and long court system in this country, failed to use a search engine. This brings us back to their motivations.

I'm in no way accusing everyone who backs this court case of being pro-forced birth - lots of people have been sucked into supporting this by an extremely well put-together campaign and very effective messaging. But not all of its supporters are benevolent.

Let's have a look at who has supported Heidi Crowter's CrowdJustice page.

One delightful human being called Jenny commented, "Keep fighting. The reversal of Roe v Wade shows that we can win and save lives."
Mask off there.
The Christian Poster Company donated £140, and religion seems to be very much a theme in the motivations of the people donating. Some choice comments:
"We need to all pray the Rosary to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Our Lady of Perpetual Help to intercede to her Son Jesus to stop this discrimination." "Best of luck in your appeal. Prayers being offered also. Every live is precious and we are created in the image and likeness of God." "We hold these truths to be self evident: all are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness ... every blessing in your defence of LIFE!" "Everyone lucky enough to be formed in the womb of his/her Mother has a right too life. Jer ch 1 v 5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew thee, before you were born I set you apart......."
One of my personal favourites:
"Hi Heidi, thanks for your great talk with Cambridge Students for Life! I'll be praying for you and the upcoming appeal, that Justice would prevail!"
Clearly, not all of the people putting money behind this campaign are purely motivated by a desire to end the oppression of disabled people. Crowter has cornered the market in getting money from every pro-forced birth Christian misogynist out there.

She has also given interviews and talks to some people and, interestingly, been referred to as a "Christian campaigner " multiple times. This is not something that is advertised on the CrowdJustice page, and does somewhat go against the narrative of the court case being about disability discrimination, rather than an attempt to chip away at women's rights in the name of religion.

Heidi Crowter gave a talk to Cambridge Students for Life, an organisation which is very explicit about its goals. Helpfully, Students for Life did a write-up of their event. Crowter started off with a very telling quote from the Bible: "For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful."

Spoiler: this quote is a favourite amongst Christian forced birthers, and raises questions as to what Crowter and co's motivations really are.

In my opinion, giving talks to an anti-choice group puts you firmly on their side in debates about abortion. If you're being invited as an honoured guest, you must know your actions and opinions are appealing to those who would abolish any and all rights to bodily autonomy for people who can get pregnant. The use of that particular quote hints at the true political motivations of the campaign.

Crowter has herself retweeted multiple tweets from anti-abortion groups such as Both Lives Matter, Unborn Lives Matter and Galway Anti-Abortion Outreach, as well as explicitly anti-abortion messages.

Speaking of people involved in the court case, let's take a look at Crowter's solicitor, Paul Conrathe.

Oh boy. This guy is a real winner, and exactly who you don't want to represent you if you want to maintain the facade of being an equality-based campaign.

His track record includes working on legal actions which were anti-LGBT, anti-trans and anti-abortion.

In 2001, Conrathe helped a client take a pregnant woman to court to try and stop her having an abortion in the name of father's rights. After the case failed, he took her to court again to demand the father be allowed to bury the foetal remains. Not only did these actions attempt to undermine a woman's right to bodily autonomy, they dragged the process out.

He also acted in the Tavistock v Bell case, as well as other anti-trans cases, which aimed to stop the prescription of puberty blockers to trans children. Had this action been upheld, it would have also had severe implications for abortion rights as it aimed to underminethe Gillick principle - the idea that children under the age of 16 can consent to treatment if they're believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what's involved in their treatment.

Conrathe is a former director of both the Christian Charismatic UnitedLife church and Premier Christian Media Trust, and has built his legal career on representing bigots who tried to undermine the human rights of women and LGBT people. This is not a guy you accidentally hire as a solicitor and this is not someone you should ask to represent you if your aim is equality.

Crowter's claim should be seen in the context of legislative actions to dismantle, step by step, the rights of marginalised people to their own bodily autonomy and to make decisions about their own lives. That has been the method of choice for forced birthers to try and restrict, and ultimately end, abortion access in the UK.

The Crowter lawsuit is far from the first time someone has used claims of disability equality to try and force changes to the Abortion Act - Lord Shinkwin proposed a private members bill to that effect in the Lords in 2016 and the DUP tried to propose a similar bill in 2021 at Stormont in response to the decriminalisation of abortion in the North of Ireland. Let's assume for a minute that neither of the proposers of these bills had any ulterior motivations - if either of these bills had passed they would have had devastating effects on abortion access far beyond just removing the disability discrepancies.

By arguing that a foetus has a right to equality, the advocates of these bills assumed that a foetus enjoys some form of personhood. As Abortion Rights lay out, such a claim would be inconsistent with the fundamental principles of English law, which recognises that personhood is only gained at the moment of birth. In countries where the rights of the 'unborn child' are enshrined in law (as was formerly the case in the Republic of Ireland), access abortion is denied. If these bills had been passed, or Crowter's claim had been upheld, this would have been incredibly damaging to women's ability to access reproductive healthcare.

So What Next?

Not going to lie, this one's a biggie and this is not one where there are easy answers.

But I do know that a campaign which seeks to limit the rights of women is no route for the liberation of disabled people. Aside from the very obvious fact that there are disabled people who can get pregnant, the struggles for bodily autonomy and the right to live independently and on our own terms are struggles which both groups experience, and which necessarily bind our causes together.

In the short term, the disabled people's movement needs to stop indulging the likes of Heidi Crowter. Just because something is led by a disabled person does not mean it is in the interests of disabled people, and frankly it is both patronising and the worst kind of identity politics to assume that, just because a disabled person is campaigning on an issue, they have a good take on it. There should be no place in the disabled people's movement for the pro-forced birth evangelical misogynists who are supporting Crowter's claim. They should be cast off and disavowed for what they are - pro-forced birthers using "disability equality" as a pretext to destroy abortion access in the UK.

Longer term, there needs to be greater communication between the pro-choice and disabled people's movements. There will be a lot of difficult conversations needed to confront the traps both movements have fallen into with regards to eugenicist and pro-forced birth rhetoric. It will require good faith on both sides and a willingness to admit fault. This needs to happen if we are to move forward and stand in solidarity with each other to ensure everyone is able to access their human rights.
Content Note: Invasive medical procedure, consent not respected, medical trauma
Recently, I was in hospital. It went badly. Here is the complaint I wrote a week later.

"To whom it may concern

I came to hospital on Sunday [date] with urinary retention, and I need to make a complaint about the conduct of one of the people who treated me. Please note that all other staff I met were wonderful, respectful, caring, and took the time to listen to what I needed.

It was difficult to put a catheter in, and after many unsuccessful attempts in A&E, I was moved to the surgical assessment ward.

There I met a surgeon, and at some point after midnight, he attempted to place a catheter.

As soon as I met him, I was nervous. He tried to speak to my mum about what was happening,

ignoring me completely. She and my PA directed him to speak to me, and it took a few very awkward

moments before he walked to where I could see him and I could speak to him about what was happening to me.

Later, when he returned to place the catheter, my mum had gone home, and my PA was staying with me.

After a number of attempts to locate my urethra (by repeatedly placing his finger in my vagina and feeling around) and place a catheter, which I found painful and distressing, I said I needed to take a break. I asked a question, as information about what's happening calms me down and keeps me calmer. He answered that he didn't know, and began to continue, placing his finger back in my vagina. I stated again that no, I need to take a break, and he stopped until I was ready.

Later, the catheter was placed after several attempts by a urologist, who followed the same procedure but was much more gentle, spoke directly to me without being prompted to do so, and allowed me to take a break when needed until I said I was ready to continue.

A few days later, I was still very sore, and on Friday, I still could not place any fabric from my pyjama top on my lower belly. I was seen by a GP who agreed that the pain was probably caused by the process of getting the catheter in, and prescribed a painkiller.

I'm still very shook up by these events, and am terrified by the idea that I may need another catheter in future, and feel very nervous whenever any health and social care professional examines or cleans around the catheter.

Please could you feedback that in future, the surgeon needs to:

- speak to the patient first, not the person with them, unless directed otherwise, irrespective of whether the patient is a visibly disabled person

- be aware of the level of pain a procedure may be causing and the risk of damage/bruising, and the need to be as gentle as reasonably possible

- ask for consent every time a medical procedure is started or restarted, particularly if that process is invasive, painful, distressing, and/or involves a vagina.

I send this in the hope that this will mean that no one has to experience the same moments of fear, shock, panic and horror as I did, and the aftermath which follows.

Yours sincerely,

By an Anonymous Author

This was first published at The King's Fund.

Between January and November 2020, six in ten of those who died from Covid-19 were disabled. Disabled people have historically experienced a range of barriers to accessing health care, for example, the lack of suitable transport and inaccessible buildings, and the Covid-19 pandemic brought additional challenges. During the lockdowns, shielding concerns, the inappropriate use of DNRs ('do not resuscitate') and the mismanagement of vaccine allocations, did not consider the needs of disabled people. As safety measures have been lifted and waves of Covid infection continue, ongoing concerns for shielders and the inability to access care remain unaddressed. All this has left the disabled population's trust in the health and social care system at a low point. As safety measures have been lifted and waves of Covid infection continue, ongoing concerns for shielders and the inability to access care remain unaddressed.

To ensure that disabled people receive the appropriate health and care services they require, trust needs to be rebuilt between disabled people and health care providers. To do this, health and care services must constructively engage with disabled people at the planning, delivery and review stages of care. This will ensure that services meet the needs of those who use them. Such engagement can be more effective and more powerful if Deaf and disabled people's organisations (DDPOs), NHS leaders and care providers work collaboratively on the delivery of services

DDPOs are primarily democratic and disabled-led. They are significant in ensuring that health and care services address disabled people's concerns and meet their needs. They operate in consultation with disabled people to shape services and often provide peer support and necessary advocacy. For example, when the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation failed to prioritise disabled people for vaccines, DDPOs lobbied key care and political stakeholders to ensure that disabled people who were vulnerable to Covid-19 were added to the vaccine priority list.

When disabled people report delays in receiving localised services or encounter barriers to having their health concerns addressed, DDPOs step in to ensure that disabled people receive the right services. This happens both in an advocacy capacity, and by providing services such as counselling, acupuncture and physiotherapy. The ability to grasp the complex needs of different impairments and provide a range of support comes from the historic peer-led nature of DDPOs. This uniquely comprehensive view on disability is key to ensuring that health and care systems work for disabled people.

The needs of the disabled community are not homogeneous - factors such as race, class, sexuality, gender and levels (and types) of impairments have an impact on people's experiences of health and care. While decision-makers and providers recognise the impacts of health inequalities and intersectional ableism, solutions to tackling them often fall short. In contrast, DDPOs such as the Sisters of Frida and Stay Safe East not only advocate for intersectional discrimination to be addressed, they also foster community spaces where different disabled women meet to share their experiences of health inequalities. This sharing of experience between disabled people is a point where key solutions can be generated. Decision-makers and providers can embrace the wealth of knowledge and solutions that DDPOs and disabled people have on tackling health inequalities. DDPOs' historical expertise on disabled people's needs will provide crucial insight into improving health care for all.

Further, DDPOs can provide useful guidance to health and care providers on delivering services that are attuned to different disabled people's needs. It is imperative for health and care services to be able to cater to different types of impairments, for example, physical disabilities, neurodivergence, chronic illness, etc. To formulate this, DDPOs are valuable allies to providers and can share know-how on the mechanisms of crafting accessible services that meet different access needs. Collaboration will provide insight into different care considerations and expand the work of providers in health and care sectors. This can result in gaining an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of those with various disabilities thus improving health care services in the long term.

As many disabled people continue to struggle through continuing waves of Covid-19, it is crucial that DDPOs, disabled people and health and care services work in partnership to ensure fair and accessible health and care. Health and care organisations need to listen to and engage with disabled people at every step and ensure that listening to the voices of disabled people is not tokenistic, but leads to real change. This will require financial investment for research and consultation activities, and the time and skills of staff. But above all it will require openness and willingness to engage with and value all voices equally. The advantages of working with DDPOs and disabled people are clear but are health and care providers ready to listen and act to build bridges towards equitable partnership?

Written by Manishta Sunnia, researcher for SOF

Photo of the banner at the People's Museum in Manchester by Katie Goldfinch

Image Description SOF banner hanging from wooden pole. Multi colours back ground light purple and dark purple. Visible a bird, leaves, flowers, 2 wheels, feathers. Text on banner - 'Sisters of Frida Hear Our Voices'

Wonderful video from our good friend Jess Thom.

"Jess's Tourette's means her life is full of biscuits, cats and Alan Hansen. Worlds collide at home and work as a visit from a social worker threatens to ruin her day. Comedy Blap starring Jess Thom."

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Thursday, 7th June, We've just learnt that it looks as if the Power Threat Meaning Framework has been adopted as policy by the Division of Clinical Psychologists at the British Psychological Society. An email has been received by other psychologists which says " Statements of Interest are invited to join the DCP Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTM) Working Group, that reports directly to the DCP Committee."

We have been working hard on our report about the PTMFramework and are now compiling the results into a coherent whole so that it can be presented along with our letter of complaint. This has not been easy and has taken a while as the Framework itself is a poorly researched and poorly written mishmash of outdated ideas as well as being unintelligible in sections.

C: Second Update to Original Post (see A & B below)

As of today, Monday, 30th April, we've still not had any kind of a reply from the British Psychological Society regarding their stigmatising and discriminatory attitude towards people with ADHD. We sent the BPS & authors of the Power Threat Meaning Framework a note today, via Twitter, to say that unless they promise by Friday, 4th May, in writing, that ADHD will be deleted from the PTMFramework we will be taking further action.

FYI, work on this further action is well underway!

In the meantime, we note that Lucy Johnstone, a consultant clinical psychologist and one of the two lead authors of the framework, tweeted at 5:10 pm on Tuesday, 24th April the following:

As you see, Lucy Johnstone declares that all diagnoses lack validity even if people actually find them to be helpful. And she says, psychologists should be honest and tell us that our diagnoses are invalid. That is an arrogant and harmful statement that devalues the experience of service users.

And before any of the authors think about contacting us to claim that the PTMframework is an alternative option to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), we will state right here and now that we are not fooled! At the same time they tell everyone that their framework is an alternative option, they also deny the validity of the DSM. No options allowed!

Basically, in the PTMframework the authors claim that the symptoms we experience (ADHD included) are expressions of emotional distress caused by "relational and social adversities" such as poverty, discrimination, inequality, violence and abuse. Furthermore, they state that there are no " consistent associations between functional psychiatric diagnoses [e.g. ADHD] and any biological pathology or impairment, and nor have any biomarkers been identified" (Johnstone, 2018, 7). In short, the authors dismiss the results of genetic and screening research. The framework is not backed by reliable research and the authors lack the depth of knowledge and experience of the DSM authors.

While the framework may be helpful for those people whose distress has been solely caused by relational and societal adversities (although they will still need the utility of the DSM), it will not help those whose distress results from the impact of complex interactions between genetic and environmental influences amplified by relational and societal adversities. In fact, in these instances the framework will only serve to disempower people by denying the validity of their experiences. It will increase feelings of failure and despair.

Unlike the PTMFramework, the DSM is designed as a classification system that provides cross-border mental health professionals with a common diagnostic language that is useful for both treatment and research efforts. While some of the DSM authors recognise that it is a flawed system, in part because knowledge about mental ill health is evolving and changing, they also acknowledge that the DSM contains much practical information and experience and is better than anything else currently available (and when used properly does a good job).

The two main criticisms levelled against the DSM (and psychiatry in general) are first, that it medicalises normal behaviours and turns them into illnesses and disorders to be treated with drugs and secondly, that the DSM's authors (and psychiatrists in general) have conflicts of interest because they have links with the pharmaceutical industry.

The critics, including the authors, using these arguments conveniently overlook the fact that researchers from both the medical field and the pharmaceutical industry need to work together in order to find and develop effective treatments. They overlook the fact that in the UK the pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated. Additionally, as we've noticed with the BPS and some of their members, many of these same critics fail to declare their own financial and personal interests.

Please don't misunderstand us. We're not against debating the meaning and definition of illness and disorder, we're not against improving the validity of specific diagnoses, we're not even against changes to the classification system; so long as changes are in line with improvements in knowledge about causes of and experiences with mental ill health.

We are, however, against mental health professionals working outside their area of expertise and not declaring their lack of knowledge. We are also against the same professionals resorting to misinterpreting the conclusions of more knowledgeable colleagues and making attention-grabbing and unfounded pronouncements such as the ones they make about psychiatrists and psychiatric diagnoses. The authors allege that psychiatric diagnoses are neither descriptively accurate nor evidence-based and cannot be considered "professionally, scientifically or ethically justifiable" (Johnstone, 2018, p. 314). We are against mental health professionals attempting to enhance their own professional reputation by using these sorts of tactics to discredit the work of other colleagues.

Additionally, we think it is unethical and unprofessional, to say nothing of being harmful, for the authors of the PTMFramework to justify their own work by perpetuating distrust of psychiatry amongst people with negative experiences and by undermining the trust of those who've had helpful experiences.

Finally, we will point out to all those mental health professionals who feel disturbed by the implications of the PTMFramework but are staying silent, thereby implying acceptance, the framework authors' failure to recognise their own limits, biases, prejudices, professional and power interests will not only cause harm to many service users, it will also damage the reputation of psychology as a helpful profession. And those of you who do not speak up will be seen as complicit.

There will be more on these as well as additional points later!

B: First Update to Original Post (see A: below):

As of today, Tuesday, 27th March 2018 we've had no reply whatsoever from the British Psychological Society. Never mind; we've been working hard on a comprehensive follow-up which we will send to certain parties as well as publish here.

In the meantime, we note that on 1st March 2018 Lyn Romeo, Chief Social Worker for Adults, at the Department of Health not only introduced the Power Threat Meaning Framework as a " radically different perspective on mental health " on her official government blog but also allowed Phil Wilshire, principal social worker for Avon and Wiltshire NHS Partnership Trust to write a guest blog promoting the framework.

Phil does acknowledge that some professionals and some service users have been critical of the framework so he tries to argue that the framework is an " optional conceptual resource" and that it is not anti-medication. His efforts, however, are deliberately misleading given that in the first paragraph on page 314 of the framework the authors clearly state that while they affirm " people's right to describe their difficulties as they wish, we affirm the equally important principle that professionals, researchers, trainers, lecturers, charities, policy-makers and others involved in the mental health field should use language and concepts that have some claim to be descriptively accurate and evidence-based. Because psychiatric diagnosis does not meet these standards, it follows that it can no longer be considered professionally, scientifically or ethically justifiable to present psychiatric diagnoses as if they were valid statements about people and their difficulties. " You see; they are actually trying to take away our right to accept our ADHD diagnoses by calling them unprofessional, unscientific and unethical. What's more they haven't provided any valid evidence at all for this opinion.

By the way; Phil Wilshire probably should have declared his interest in the Framework as he's listed on page 3 as having " significant input into Chapter 8" which is titled " Ways forward " and contains the following sections: 1. Public health policy. 2. Mental health policy. 3. Service principles. 4. Service design, commissioning and outcomes. 5. Access to social care, housing and welfare benefits. 6. Therapeutic interventions. 7. The legal system. 8. Research. 9. Use of language.

Mr Wilshire, of course, is advocating an eventual "collective shift towards a non-diagnostic paradigm." (p. 264) Well . . . . good luck!!

And just in case Phil and Lyn have been chatting about how to implement the Framework, we suggest that since they both work for public bodies, they might like to ask themselves how their support for the framework complies with their public sector equality duty under the Equality Act 2010. And if they've overlooked their legal obligations, here's a reminder: ". . . those subject to the equality duty must, in the exercise of their functions, have due regard to the need to: Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act etc ."!!!

A: Original Post (rev. edn. published 26th January 2018):

On Tuesday, 16th January, AADD-UK was alerted to a furious Twitter row that began Friday, 12th January when the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP), a Division within the British Psychological Society (BPS),* held an actively promoted launch at the Friends House, across from Euston Station, London for the Division's recently published " Power Threat Meaning Framework: Towards the identification of patterns in emotional distress, unusual experiences and troubled or troubling behaviour, as an alternative to functional psychiatric diagnosis."

Having no idea what this Framework was about & curious as to why there was such a ruckus, I downloaded a copy and began reading.

This is what happened:

The Framework seemed sturdy, 411 pages long, and reputable. It's on the BPS website, it has their logo (Tagline: Promoting excellence in psychology) as well as the logo for the Division of Clinical Psychologists. It's clearly stated on the printer's imprint and copyright page that the publication " has been produced by the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology as a Member Network publication and represents the views and expert contributions of its authors " and it was printed and published by the British Psychological Society.

So far so good.

Next, on page 5, under the heading ' Document summary ', I learnt the reason for the existence of the Framework as follows (please bear with me as I give you these somewhat tedious details, their relevance will be more evident later):

In 2013, the Division of Clinical Psychology (DCP) of the British Psychological Society
(BPS) published a Position Statement entitled "Classification of behaviour and experience in relation to functional psychiatric diagnoses: Time for a paradigm shift." Recommendation 3 of the position paper is: 'To support work, in conjunction with service users, on developing a multi-factorial and contextual approach, which incorporates social, psychological and biological factors' (p.9). This document is the result of a DCP-funded project for work towards fulfilling this aim.

Since I tend to be overly conscientious as well as curious, I decided to read ' Time for a paradigm shift ' first so that I could understand the context for the PTMFramework so I downloaded a copy, thankfully only 9 pages long, and began reading (it's publication format was the same as the Framework's).

I was more interested when I recognised a few of the author's names due to their interactions with the Twitter row. Things quickly became more interesting when, on page 2, I read the following paragraph (emphasis mine):
At the same time it should be noted that functional psychiatric diagnoses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, personality disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders and so on, due to their limited reliability and questionable validity, provide a flawed basis for evidence-based practice, research, intervention guidelines and the various administrative and nonclinical uses of diagnosis.
After this, I carried on reading, paying closer attention to the references and source names, some of whom I also recognised, and by the time I reached the summary (below) on page 5, I'd already concluded that the ' position statement ' produced by the Division of Clinical Psychologists was a veiled attempt at undermining psychiatry and diagnoses, i.e. anti-psychiatry. The Twitter row wasn't the only place I'd seen those names.
The DCP believes there is a clear rationale and need for a paradigm shift in relation to functional psychiatric diagnoses. It argues for an approach that is multi-factorial, contextualises distress and behaviour, and acknowledges the complexity of the interactions involved in all human experience.
The whole Division? I wondered how many psychologists were involved so I did a Google search. I didn't find numbers for psychologists but I did find an interesting page on the BPS website under "news". It's titled " The future of clinical psychology in the Society " which mentions plans for a another UK association for Clinical Psychologists. Intriguingly, there's strange hints about unity (lack of?) along with a reminder that relationships with external organisations must advance BPS' objects. The policy is linked to this page. Hmm! Keep all this in mind as you read on.

I returned to reading the Power Threat Meaning Framework. Now, I freely admit that I was slightly distracted by the policy I'd just read and I was aware my bias filters were turned on. I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong!

I was shocked! And this feeling intensified the more I read. The authors' tone, conveyed through their choice of words and viewpoint, is arrogant and patronising and their negative and disapproving attitude towards ADHD is stigmatising and discriminatory. Make no mistake the ideology behind the Framework belongs to the anti-psychiatry movement.

I'm not going to analyse the arguments put forward in the Framework other than to say that while some of the ideas are interesting, they aren't discussed in any depth. The authors' make some half-hearted attempts at describing different sides of an argument, but these are often spoilt by their habit of using adverbs to manipulate us into choosing their favoured option .

This post is getting too long so I'm only going to add 5 extracts from the Framework so that you have some sort of idea as to what it's like. I've put links to the Framework as well as to the Time for a Paradigm Shift at the very end of this post in the References section. If you're interested, you can download them and judge them for yourselves.

". . . and psychiatric diagnoses are often explicitly used as explanations. But the impression of explanation is false and the reasoning behind it is illogical ". (2018, p.29)

" We underestimate the difficulty of describing patterns in people's behavioural or bodily problems and often 'see' associations which are not there (known as the illusory correlation). This is why medical researchers have developed the kind of rules we discussed earlier to try to ensure that the bodily patterns they describe are 'real' and not illusory. The combination of limited public understanding of diagnostic procedures and overconfidence in judgements of patterns, can confer credibility on psychiatric categories which is not justified by the evidence ". 2018, p.30)

" The existence of particular categories can influence how people's experiences are interpreted and how they express their distress. Aided by the illusory correlation, diagnostic categories can then become self-fulfilling prophecies, conferring further credibility as growing numbers of people seem to match them. And, especially if people do not have access to non-medical, non-blaming explanations, the process can become self-perpetuating as people increasingly request confirmation of self-diagnoses of 'bipolar disorder' or 'ADHD' and so on." (2018, p.30)

" All of this is reflected in psychiatric diagnosis' inevitable dependence on social judgements, as we discussed in Chapter 1, and many critics have traced particular diagnoses back to the social norms they challenge: 'borderline personality disorder' for women who are too angry; 'depression' for women who are exhausted by domestic demands; 'anorexia nervosa' as a reaction to the unrealistic role and appearance standards faced by modern women; alcohol misuse and suicide for men whose socialisation does not permit the expression of despair in other ways; 'ADHD' for children who are not suited to educational regimentation, and so on . . .These rule transgressions can involve over-adaption to the ideal image, as well as failing to live up to it; . . . Similarly, it has been suggested that the enormous rise in diagnoses of 'autism spectrum disorders' and 'Asperger's' may partly reflect demands made by highly industrialised and service-oriented economies for successful employees to display emotional behaviours such as (faked) sociability, warmth, gratitude, passion and so on - skills which do not come easily to everyone (Roberts, 2015). (NB: Although autism in its most severe forms fits the profile of a neurodevelopmental disorder of some kind, the debates about these diagnoses are particularly complex . . . Given all this, it is hardly surprising that in many parts of the Global South, there may be no equivalent categories to the experiences that DSM and ICD label as 'depression', 'anxiety', borderline personality disorder, anorexia, and so on. In fact, the distinction between thought and emotion may not even be recognised (Cromby, 2015) and the very notion of an individual who exists in some sense independently from their social network may be alien." (2018, p. 69-70)

" From a PTM Framework perspective, the trauma-informed model has much to offer. It also has risks and limitations, including: Conceptualising the approach as an alternative explanation for 'schizophrenia', 'bipolar disorder', 'ADHD' and so on, perhaps by reducing adversities to the status of a 'trigger' and thus retaining diagnostic categories and thinking . . . " (2018, p.276)

I apologise for the length of the quotes. I'm trying to give you an accurate picture by including some context.

Returning to my story: I revisited the Twitter row, partly because I was angry and looking for a fight and partly because I couldn't believe that professionals still believed this kind of stuff in 2018.

I'm going to pause now and give myself a pat on the back, as once advised by a psychotherapist.

Despite being angry and upset, I managed to stay calm and polite, except for a couple of little jabs & swipes, as I asked questions and gave feedback to the authors, and yes the medication also helped even when my questions were evaded and ignored. I did, however, get replies from a registered psychologist, supporter of the Framework, who told me, via tweets, that ADHD diagnoses are invalid and damaging. I also saw a tweet from one of the Framework authors in which she stated, " IMO all DX are BS & giving psychoactive meds to kids is immoral. To view ADHD as valid DX seems remarkably lacking in critical thinking." I've kept copies of these tweets.

Eventually, I realised I was wasting my time and energy, the authors didn't want to hear, even questioned whether I'd read the framework, and then said it was up to me how I used the Framework, I didn't give the obvious reply! Instead I decided to leave.

I was sorry though to leave behind some of the people I'd met (I'm using the word figuratively) . Not all psychologists support the framework, and the same goes for my fellow service users. In fact the people I met were kind, caring and open-minded, and some even had a wicked sense of humour and mischief. I laughed out loud several times.

I also met service users from the other side of the argument who were kind and helped me to understand and accept their very valid reasons for disliking diagnoses. But my experiences with the professional supporters of the Framework had a completely different nature. I'm not going to give details, it's not fair. And anyway, we've reached the point at which I return to the description I gave earlier of the publication details of the DCP's position statement and the PTMFramework. My reasons for giving you those dull details at the beginning.

You see, I couldn't just walk away telling myself that the fuss would die down in a few days and be forgotten. The reality is that the BPS allowed the PTMFramework, despite its evident bias and stigmatising attitude, to be published and available on their website. Registered clinical psychologists promoted it on Twitter, and the BPS and DPC logos are displayed on its front cover. And all this means the PTMFramework carries a backstory of reputability, reliability, and safety. This apparent endorsement by the BPS will encourage the stigmatisation of people with ADHD.

That's why, here at AADD-UK, we talked and made a plan the first step of which was to send an open letter (below) to the British Psychological Society in which we set out our requests. If these are met we will consider the matter closed as far as we are concerned.

We sent our letter, via Twitter, to BPS on Tuesday, 23rd January but to date we've not had a reply.

Never mind, the longer the delay, the longer the length of rope.

We will wait until end of day on Friday, 2 February for a reply.

Transcript of letter sent to BPS as a warning shot across their bows:

Tuesday, 23rd January 2018

Open letter to the British Psychological Society

Re: The Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMFramework) *

We are a service user organisation and via public promotion on Twitter by the authors and their supporters we were alerted to the open availability of the PTMFramework.

We read it and were shocked by the strong, stigmatising suggestion that ADHD is an illusory, unprofessional, unscientific and unethical diagnosis.

We joined the public Twitter debate & gave this feedback to the lead author as well to @BPSOfficial and @UKDCP. We also pointed out that our views were not sought before publication. We asked for your response.

None has been forthcoming regarding our feedback about these two matters although a registered psychologist, supporter of the framework, did send us inappropriate tweets.

As this has taken place on Twitter, we are using the same platform to ask that the current version of the PTMFramework be retracted to allow the removal of all specific references to ADHD as well as all assertions and/or suggestions that ADHD is an invalid diagnosis.

We also respectfully suggest that the Framework be amended to meet academic standards.

Finally, we ask that you issue a public apology acknowledging the distress and stigmatisation that ADHD service users are experiencing due to the open-access publication and ongoing public promotion of the current version. We suggest that you also respond regarding the unprofessional tweets from the registered psychologist.

If these requests are met, we will consider these specific matters closed as far as we are concerned.

Susan Dunn Morua on behalf of AADD-UK
@AADDUK (other contact details supplied upon request)

Notes :

1.Many psychologists are NOT supportive of this framework. Additionally, there are service users who reject their diagnosis, for valid reasons, and thus support the framework. AADD-UK fully understands, accepts and supports their right to make this choice. Our letter is only addressing the stigmatising attitude displayed towards ADHD people who have benefited from a psychiatric diagnosis

2. The British Psychological Society is a registered charity which according the blurb on their website does the following:

". . . acts as the representative body for psychology and psychologists in the UK, and is responsible for the promotion of excellence and ethical practice in the science, education, and application of the discipline."

And:

" As a society we support and enhance the development and application of psychology for the greater public good, setting high standards for research, education, and knowledge, and disseminating our knowledge to increase the wider public awareness of psychology and its importance."

References:

Awenat, F. & Berger, M., Coles, S., et al. (2013). Classification of behaviour and experience in relation to functional psychiatric diagnoses: Time for a paradigm shift. DCP Position Statement. Leicester: British Psychological Society

*Johnstone, L. & Boyle, M. with Cromby, J., Dillon, J., Harper, D., Kinderman, P., Longden, E., Pilgrim, D. & Read, J. (2018). The Power Threat Meaning Framework: Towards the identification of patterns in emotional distress, unusual experiences and troubled or troubling behaviour, as an alternative to functional psychiatric diagnosis. Leicester: British Psychological Society

Standards of Conduct, Performance and ethics for registered psychologists

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We’re here to help people with ADHD Thrive. Positively changing what it means to have ADHD in the UK if not the world.

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Recently, while visiting our local libraries and book stores, I realized there is a need for more access to NeuroDiversity centered literature.

Rather than to just give over a list of my favorite books (don't worry, some of those are included too), I asked our community on various platforms what books other NeuroDivergent People have found helpful.

This morning I spent several hours looking threw the responses on the 3 platforms I asked for recommendations on, and have compiled some of the most requested Autism & NeuroDiversity books on the list below.

Many of you asked that I make this list available to the public.

There are links included for each book on Amazon via affiliate link. Purchasing through these links will help to support my continued work in creating quality free resources and tools for the public.

I hope you find this list helpful. Please feel free to share it far and wide, to help local book stores and libraries to educate and fight stigma against Autistic & NeuroDivergent People.
NeuroDiversity NeuroDivergent Fiction Autism & Autistic Experience

I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults by Cynthia Kim

Back From the Brink: Stories of Resilience, Reconciliation and Reconnection by Chan Tim & Chan Sarah

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida

Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: A Young Man's Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida

All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism by Brown (Author), Autism Women's Network, Inc. (Author), E. Ashkenazy (Editor), Morénike Giwa Onaiwu (Editor)

Communication Alternatives in Autism: Perspectives on Typing and Spelling Approaches for the Nonspeaking by Edlyn Vallejo Peña

Typed Words Loud Voices - Amy Sequenzia (Editor), Elizabeth Grace (Editor)

The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man's Quest to Be a Better Husband by David Finch

Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary

Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate by Edlyn Vallejo Peña

Autism: An Inside-Out Approach: An Innovative Look at the 'Mechanics' of 'Autism' and its Developmental 'Cousins' by Donna Williams

Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking by Julia Bascom

Ido in Autismland: Climbing Out of Autism's Silent Prison by Ido Kedar

For Parents & Caregivers Autistic Women Girls LGBTQIA+ Intersectionality For Young Readers ADHD

#ActuallyAutistic #AskingAutistics & #NeuroDivergent humans:

I want to create a list of Neurodiversity positive book recommendations, that I can hand out to local library's and bookstores, to encourage them to carry more titles related to Neurodiversity.

What would YOU add?

Additional suggestions from my readers (on various social media platforms):
To download a printable PDF version of this list click HERE.

Help me get the word out!!! - If you like what I do, and would like more, please consider subscribing on Patreon. This blog is made possible by support from readers like YOU! (Sharing my content is also, equally helpful!)

With gratitude,

Lyric

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NeuroDivergent Rebel's 2021 NeuroDiversity Book List

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Recently, while visiting our local libraries and book stores, I realized there is a need for more access to NeuroDiversity centered literature. Rather than to just give over a list of my favorite books (don't worry, some of those are included too), I asked our community on various platforms what books other NeuroDivergent People have...

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If you're looking for books on autism and neurodiversity, there are plenty to choose from! You can consider these titles vetted by a large group of autistic adults and allies.

CLICK HERE if you're only searching for inclusive children's books.

CLICK HERE if you're only searching for books for teens, tweens, and adolescents.

CLICK HERE if you're an adult exploring your own autistic identity.

We've been compiling this book list for over a year in That Au-Some Book Club. All of the titles have been discussed and approved by our autistic members and allies.

It's important to remember that there are no perfect books. All books on autism and neurodiversity come with several trigger warnings. Some may contain person-first language, while others may include internalized ableism.

There are a few categories. Other than that, these books are in no particular order. At the bottom, I've linked to other great lists I've come across.

Consider this a working document. It is in no way complete, and I'll be adding to it continuously. Feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions! Happy Reading!
This post contains links to Amazon and I earn a small commission from the orders. This helps support my book club habit! Titles available on Audible are identified.
Looking for autistic authors only?

Listing with a (*) indicate the author identifies as autistic or that the book has autistic contributors.

Listings without a(*) indicate either the author's neurology is unknown, or the author is allistic (not autistic).

Some titles show that the author is ND (neurodivergent). Some authors choose not to share their neurology with the public.

A List To Get You Started

Loud Hands: Autistic People Speaking (Anthology) Julia Bascom*

Ido in Autismland by Ido Kedar*

It's An Autism Thing, I'll Help You Understand It by Emma Dalmayne*

Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students by Diego Pena*

Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate ed by Edlyn Vallejo Peña, PhD*

All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism edited by Lydia X Z Brown et al. (By autistic women of color)* We are awaiting a new edition to this book.

Typed Words Loud Voices edited by Amy Sequenzia & Elizabeth J. Grace *

Books by Nonspeaking Authors - AAC, RPM, FC

I Never Get Lost In the Woods by Aaron Jepson* (novel) *New Release!*

Ido in Autismland by Ido Kedar *

In Two Worlds by Ido Kedar (fiction) *

Typed Words Loud Voices edited by Amy Sequenzia & Elizabeth J. Grace*

What's J Say: A Collection of Poems by Justice Killebrew*

May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future by Chris Martin

Back from the Brink: Stories of Resilience, Reconciliation, and Reconnection by Tim Chan and Sarah Chan*

Communication Alternatives in Autism: Perspectives on Typing and Spelling Approaches...by Edlyn Vallejo Peña*

Autistic & Awesome: A Journal From the Inside by Alfonso Camacho*

Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students by Diego Peña*

Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate edited by Edlyn Vallejo Peña, PhD*

Books For Parents and Educators

I Will Die On This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World by Jules Edwards, Meghan Ashburn, et al. Illustrated by Nathan McConnell*

Your Child Is Not Broken by Heidi Mavir*

Low Demand Parenting by Amanda Diekman*

Autism in Childhood: for Parents and Carers of the Newly Diagnosed by Luke Beardon (ND Author)

Learning from Autistic Teachers: How to Be a Neurodiversity-inclusive School by Dr. Rebecca Wood et al. (anthology)*

We've Got This: Stories by disabled Parents by Eliza Hull*

Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensor y Processing Disorder by Lucy Jane Miller

The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children, ed. Michelle Sutton *

Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Children: A Guide for Autistic Wellbeing by Dr. Luke Beardon (ND Author)

Inclusive Education for Autistic Children by Dr. Rebecca Wood

Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Youth by Yellow Ladybugs

The Parents' Practical Guide to Resilience for Children aged 2-10 on the Autism Spectrum by Yenn Purkis and Emma Goodall*

Just Give Him the Whale! 20 Ways to Use Fascinations, Areas of Expertise, and Strengths to Support Students with Autism by Paula Kluth & Patrick Schwarz

15 Minute Focus: Regulation and Coregulation: Accessible Neuroscience and Connection Strategies that Bring Calm Into the Classroom by Ginger Healy

It's An Autism Thing, I'll Help You Understand It by Emma Dalmayne *

Leaders Around Me: Autobiographies of Autistics who Type, Point, and Spell to Communicate edited by Edlyn Vallejo Peña, PhD *

Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities: A Path to Pride and Success by Margo Izzo and LeDerick Horne (ND Authors)

May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future by Chris Martin*

Underrepresented Genders

Drama Queen: One Autistic Woman and a Life of Unhelpful Labels by Sara Gibbs

Letters to My Weird Sisters: On Autism and Feminism by Joanne Limburg *

Why Are the Lights So Loud? Stories About Being an Adult Female with Aspergers by Heather Chase *

The Edge of the Playground: Two Stories One Journey by Mary Lynn Ackerman Willis and Mikaela Ackerman *

Have Geek, Will Travel by Rebecca Blevins (novel) *

Exposure Anxiety - The Invisible Cage: An Exploration of Self-Protection Responses in the Autism Spectrum and Beyond by Donna Williams

Women on the Spectrum: A Handbook for Life by Emma Goodall and Yenn Purkis *

Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism by Barb Cook (Editor), Michelle Garnett (Editor), Jen Elcheson (Contributor) *

Nobody Nowhere: The Remarkable Autobiography of An Autistic Girl by Donna Williams *

Somebody Somewhere: Breaking Free From the World of Autism by Donna Williams *

Ways to Be Me by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott* (trilogy)

The Bride Tes t by Helen Hoang *

The Spectrum Girl's Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic by Siena Castellon *
On Audible Audible En Español

The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods by Robyn Steward *

Nerdy, Shy, and Socially Inappropriate by Cynthia Kim *

Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Sarah Bargiela*

But You Don't Look Autistic At All by Bianca Toeps*

En Español

La Razan por la Que Salto by Naoki Higashida and Jorge Rizzo (translator) *

Seres humanos Ãnicos: Una manera diferente de ver el autismo - Barry Prizant

Anatomia del Autismo: GuÃa de Bolsillo para Educadores, Padres y Estudiantes - Diego Peña*

Autista y Maravilloso: Un Diario Desde el Interior by Alfonso Camacho *

Casu un Narval by Jessie Sima (picture book)

Meneos, Pistones, Y Apretones Para Calmar Mi Cosquilleo by Lindsey Parker, illustrated by Rebecca Burgess, translated by Laura Fuentes Lopez *Preorder now! (picture book)

Gender and Sexuality

Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Autism by Eva Mendes and Meredith Maroney *

Spectrums: Autistic Transgender People in their Own Words Edited by Maxfield Sparrow *

Supporting Transgender Autistic Youth and Adults by Finn Gratton

The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Wenn Lawson *

Trans and Autistic: Stories from Life at the Intersection by Noah Adams and Bridget Liang *

How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual by Rebecca Burgess *

The Awesome Autistic Guide to Trans Teens by Yenn Purkis and Sam Rose*

General

Autistic Masking: Understanding Identity Management and the Role of Stigma by Kieran Rose and Amy Pearson PhD* *Available for Preorder*

I Am Autistic: A Workbook: Sensory Tools, Practical Advice, and Interactive Journaling for Understanding Life with Autism by Chanelle Moriah*

Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities by Nick Walker*

Workplace Neurodiversity Rising by Lyric Rivera*

What I Mean When I Say I'm Autistic: Unpuzzling a Life on the Autism Spectrum by Annie Kotowicz*

Uncommon Sense by Adam Mardero*

The Young Autistic Adult's Independence Handbook by Haley Moss *

Autistic World Domination: How to Script Your Life by Jolene Stockman*

And Straight on Till Morning: Essays on Autism Acceptance by ASAN and Julia Bascom *

Autism in Adults by Luke Beardon

Trauma, Stigma, and Autism: Developing Resilience and Loosening the Grip of Shame by Gordon Gates *

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement: Stories from the Front Line edited by Steven K. Kapp *

Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism by Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Elizabeth Bartmess (ed.) *

The Neurodiversity Reader: Exploring Concepts, Lived Experience and Implications for Practice by Damian Milton et al *

War on Autism: On the Cultural Logic of Normative Violence by Anne McGuire

A Mismatch of Salience: Explorations of the Nature of Autism From Theory to Practice by Damian Milton *

The Power of Neurodiversity: Discovering the Extraordinary Gifts of Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Brain Differences by Thomas Armstrong PhD

Exposure Anxiety - The Invisible Cage: An Exploration of Self-Protection Responses in the Autism Spectrum and Beyond by Donna Williams *

PDA by PDA-ers compiled by Sally Cat *

Look me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison *

On the Outside Looking In: My Life on the Autism Spectrum by Russell Lehmann *

The Creation of Dr. B: A Biography of Bruno Bettelheim by Richard Pollak (biography of Bruno Bettelheim)

For Professionals

The Adult Autism Assessment Handbook: A Neurodiversity Affirming Approach by Davida Hartman et. al.

Autism and the Predictive Brain: Absolute Thinking in a Relative World by Peter Vermeulen

Picture Books

The Autistic Boy in the Unruly Body by Gregory Tino, Illustrated by Patittoo*
(apraxia, autistic pride, self acceptance)

A Day with No Words by Tiffany Hammond, Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove*

Bitsy Bat School Star by Kat Windness*

Some Brains by Nelly Thomas, Illustrated by Cat MacInnes

Remarkable Remy by Melanie Heyworth, illustrated by Nathanial Eckstrom*

Just Right for You by Melanie Heyworth, Illustrated by Celeste Josephine*

Sensory Seeking Sebastian by Christia DeShields, Illustrated by Marissa Nelson

We Move Together by Kelly Fritsch Anne McGuire and Eduardo Trejos

Suzi Spins by Emma Dalmayne and Illustrated by her son Raphelle *

My Autistic Mama by Kati Hirschy, illustrated by Chloe Greenberg*

Do You Want to Play? Making Friends with an Autistic Kid by Daniel Share-Strom, Maxine Share, Illustrated by Naghmeh Afshinjah *

Come On, Calm! by Kelsey Brown illustrated by Joseph Wrightson

Benji, the Bad Day, and Me by Sally J Pla et al. Illustrated by Ken Min *

Too Sticky! :Sensory Issues with Autism by Jen Malia et al. Illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff *

Come Meet Drayden by Dana Young-Askew, illustrated by Cameron Wilson

Why Johnny Doesn't Flap: NT is Ok by Clay Morton, illustrated by Alex Merry

Juan Has the Jitters by Aneta Crus, Illustrated by Miki Yamamoto

The Brain Forest by Onwards and Upwards Psychology*

When Things Get Too Loud by Anne Alcott

A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey, Illustrated by Mika Song *

Benny Doesn't Like to Be Hugged by Zetta Elliott, Illustrated by Purple Wong

The Little Senses Series by Samantha Cotterill, Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill*

A Tiger Called Thomas by Charlotte Zolotow and Diana Cain Bluthenthal

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts

Not Your Typical Dragon by Dan Bar-el, Illustrated by Tim Bowers

I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont, Illustrated by David Catrow

The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, Illustrated by Rafael Lopez

The Masterpiece: One Big Canvas by Jay Miletsky, Illustrated by Luis Peres

The Molding of Clay by Jay Miletsky, Illustrated by Luis Peres

The Perfect Fit by Naomi Jones, Illustrated by James Jones

Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall, Illustrated by Michael Hall

Swing by Michael Hall, Illustrated by Michael Hall

Be Who You Are by Todd Parr, Illustrated by Todd Parr

It's Okay to be Different by Todd Parr, Illustrated by Todd Parr

My Wandering Dreaming Mind by Merriam Saunders, Illustrated by Tammie Lyon (ND Author)

The Big Umbrella by Amy June Bates and Juniper Bates illustrated by Amy June Bates

Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima, Illustrated by Jessie Sima

Rosalee the Seeker by Nicole Filippone *

Alexander the Avoider by Nicole Filippone *

Noah Chases the Wind by Michelle Worthington illustrated by Joseph Cowman

The Boy with Big, Bi g Feelings by Brittney Winn Lee illustrated by Jacob Souva

The Girl with Big, Big Questions by Brittney Winn Lee illustrated by Jacob Souva

Don't Hug Doug: He Doesn't Like It by Carrie Finison illustrated by Daniel Wiseman

Alex and the Drummer: by Laura Hales, illustrated by Myrah Shariff*

Books for Kids and Teens

The Fire, the Water, and Maudi McGinn by Sally J. Pla* *New Release*

The Infinite by Patience Agbabi

The Time-Thief by Patience Agbabi

The Awesome Autistic Go-To Guide: A Practical Handbook for Autistic Teens and Tweens by Yenn Purkis and Tanya Masterman *

Trouble with a Tiny T by Merriam Saunders (novel) (ND Author)

The State of Grace by Rachael Lucas* (novel)

Afrotistic by Kala Allen Omeiza*

Anatomy of Autism: A Pocket Guide for Educators, Parents, and Students by Diego Pena *

The Autism-Friendly Guide to Periods by Robyn Steward *

Queerly Autistic: The Ultimate Guide for Lgbtqia+ Teens on the Spectrum by Erin Ekins*

Stanley Will Probably be Fine by Sally J. Pla *

Diary of a Young Naturalist by Dara McAnulty *

The Secret Life of Rose: Inside an Autistic Head by Rose Smitten*

Trouble at Table Five (a series) by Tom Watson

M in the Middle: Secret Crushes, Mega-Colossal Anxiety and the People's Republic of Autismby the students of Limpsfield Grange*

M is for Autism: The Teenage Girl's Guide to Autism, and Everyone Else's by the students of Limpsfield Grange*

Geek Girl Series by Holly Smale*

The Awesome Autistic Guide for Trans Teens by Yenn Purkis and Glenn Masterman
(releases in June 2022)

Shake It Up: How to be Young Autistic & Make an Impact by Quincy Hansen*
(releases in July 2022)

Other Lists to Explore

A list from Autistic, Typing - to support independent booksellers and promote disability and racial justice on Bookshop.

Multiple Lists at Raising Luminaries (Books for Littles)
About That Au-Some Book Club

I started That Au-Some Book Club in June 2019 because I needed motivation to read NeuroTribes. Since then, it has grown to over 10,000 members from all around the world!

We discuss books on autism and neurodiversity, host book club meetings with authors (and other cool people), and we hold impromptu meetings over Zoom. It really is a magical place to learn!

You can find highlights from our meetings on the Not an Autism Mom Youtube Channel.

If this list of books on autism and neurodiversity has been helpful to you, consider becoming a Patron.

If you'd like to recommend a book for this list of books on autism and neurodiversity, join us in That Au-Some Book Club!

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100-ish Books on Autism and Neurodiversity - Not an Autism Mom

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These patient booklets explains the recommendations in the SIGN clinical guideline. Adults
The clinical guideline is based on what we know from current medical research. It also gives advice based on the opinion of healthcare professionals who are trained on how best to manage your care.

This booklet is for adults who:
Parents, carers and families

may have autism or

have already been diagnosed with autism

This booklet is for parents, carers and families of children and young people up to the age of 18 who:
Young people

have already been diagnosed with autism or

may be going through diagnosis.

This booklet is for young people of high-school age who:

may have autism or

have already been diagnosed with autism

If you would like to order copies of the patient booklet, please email sign@sign.ac.uk

We are happy to consider requests for our publications to be made available in other languages or formats. We ask you to complete a to help us make a decision on whether to proceed. Factors affecting the decision include level of demand, cost to translate, availability of interpretation services, other format(s) available and subject matter of the publication.

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These patient booklets explains the recommendations in the SIGN clinical guideline. Adults The clinical guideline is based on what we know from current medical research. It also gives advice based on the opinion of healthcare professionals who are trained on how best to manage your care.

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Autism Awareness and Understanding

Autism is part of everyday life. Yet even though 1 in 100 people in Scotland are autistic, it's often misunderstood.

Autism is a neurological difference; put simply, autistic brains work differently to non-autistic brains. They see and experience the world differently to non-autistic people. It's important that we all understand more about autism - both what it is, and what it is not.

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Different Minds, One Scotland is committed to building better autism awareness and understanding, and recognising the value of a neurodiverse Scotland.

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Scottish Autism is an autism charity that exists to help those diagnosed with autism to lead full and enriched lives and become valuable members of the community they live in.

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Pasda – supporting families of autistic adults

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Browse our content using the menu, or find relevant pages using the search box below

Pasda offers support to parents, partners, siblings and carers of autistic adults (over 16) who live in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

It can be difficult to know where to turn, especially if your relative had a diagnosis of autism or Asperger's Syndrome as an adult. We would be happy to hear from you whether you are a parent, relative, friend or professional looking for more information about us or what support is available.

We also have a downloadable guide to services and resources, available in Edinburgh and the Lothians, which can be accessed using the button below

View PASDA Guide

See our new E-Learning Modules for Parents and Carers

PowerPoint Presentations by Sarah Barratt

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Pasda - Supporting families of adults with autism

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Browse our content using the menu, or find relevant pages using the search box below Pasda offers support to parents, partners, siblings and carers of autistic adults (over 16) who live in Edinburgh and the Lothians. It can be difficult to know where to turn, especially if your relative had a diagnosis of autism or Asperger's Syndrome as an adult.

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These groups are all run by adults with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD) for adults with ADHD, meetings are informal and loosely structured.

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The next Edinburgh meetup will be in , it will be held on 2023 Thursday 26th January 5:30-7:30pm @ Kafe Kweer.

These groups are all run by adults with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD) for adults with ADHD, meetings are informal and loosely structured. We help each other with the symptoms and difficulties that adults with ADHD experience on a daily basis. We exchange information, talk about issues related to adult ADHD and have a good time. All meetings are confidential, no judgements are made, and no issues are too delicate.

We welcome all adults with or without a diagnosis and invite their spouses, partners and close family members/friends to come with them.

meetings are held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, we're currently waiting for updated venue details.
C heck this page on the day of the Event in case there have been any changes to the time or location.
Please do not attend if you are feeling sick or displaying symptoms of Covid. Please check this link here as the symptoms you may be experiencing may now differ from those widely publicised in the past, particularly if you are partially fully vaccinated. or

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About the Groups The next Edinburgh meetup will be in 2023, it will be held on Thursday 26th January 5:30-7:30pm @ Kafe Kweer. These groups are all run by adults with Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADHD) for adults with ADHD, meetings are informal and loosely structured. We help each

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SWAN is an autistic-led Charity delivering services, information and support for and by autistic women, girls and non-binary people across Scotland since 2012.
SWAN is a place for autistic women, girls and non-binary people to understand themselves better, connect with others, and learn from and support one another, without the stress of masking to fit in.
SWAN runs a range of events and activities, both in person and online, including local meet-up groups, online peer support, pre- and post-diagnosis groups, and wellbeing webinars.

All SWAN staff and volunteers are autistic and we work hard to make SWAN a safe, welcoming and stress-free place for autistic women, girls and non-binary people.
Services & Events
Our resources are designed and produced by and for autistic women, girls and non-binary people, informed by our work, what we learn from our network, and by autistic-led research.
Info & Resources
SWAN delivers autistic-led training to improve the understanding and inclusion of autistic women, girls and non-binary people, and works directly with organisations to help them achieve greater inclusion and autistic-informed service design and delivery.

We represent autistic women, girls and non-binary people and their interests in local and national policy, service-design and decision-making processes and work with our network to involve them in these opportunities.

SWAN is inclusive of all autistic identity - whether you are diagnosed, self-diagnosed, self-identified, or exploring whether you might be autistic, you are welcome at SWAN.

SWAN is inclusive of all women and non-binary people.

SWAN spaces are autistic-only, however we warmly welcome friends and allies, families and carers, and professionals and practitioners to access our resources and attend specific events.

You can trust that the everything you find at SWAN is based on the professional and personal knowledge and experiences of #ActuallyAutistic women, girls and non-binary people.

SWAN is proud to be autistic led.

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For & by autistic women, girls and non-binary people | SWAN

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SWAN is an autistic-led Charity delivering services, information and support for and by autistic women, girls and non-binary people across Scotland...

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https://www.arghighland.co.uk/

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Welcome

ARGH is a collective advocacy, lobbying and campaigning group based in the Highlands of Scotland. We are run by and for autistic adults. The ARGH committee and full voting members are all autistic.

If you would like to join ARGH either as an autistic person or as an associate member you can apply using this form.

ARGH works locally in the Scottish Highlands, nationally across Scotland, the UK and internationally, including through membership of the European Council of Autistic People (EUCAP). ARGH works in partnership with the Scottish Government by being members of the Autism Strategy Review Group and its sub groups, as a regional delivery partner for the Scottish Government Improving Understanding of Autism programme and is a member of the Cross Party Group on Autism as well as a stakeholder for Nice guidelines relevant to autistic people.

We promote self advocacy for all Autistic people.

ARGH is an organisation which will:

Inform service providers about what autistic people really experience.

Campaign for better services for autistic people in the highlands and beyond.

Challenge stigma and discrimination through education about autistic strengths.

New Post-Diagnostic Support Service

We have been funded by the Scottish Government to provide two short courses on an ongoing basis as part of the National Post Diagnostic Support Service.

The first course is available to autistic people (18+) who have received an autism diagnosis within the last five years. The second course is available to parents of autistic children (under 18) whose children have received their autism diagnosis within the last five years. Click here for more information.

Workshop: Learning from Autistic Teachers. Sat 10th Sept at 1pm. Read more about it and book a place.

ARGH and AMASE are hosting a FREE online event exploring autistic identity on the 26th June, 7pm - 8:30pm. Read more about it and book a place.

ARGHs Autistic Pride Day 2022 event is at Bellfield Park, Inverness on Saturday 18th June 12:30pm - 3pm. Face painting and crafts. Bring your own picnic, blanket and chair!

Latest News! ARGH have co-signed, with other autuistuic-led organisations around the world, an open letter in response to an article about clinical care and research for autistic people. Click here to read it.

A consortium of autistic-led organisations, including ARGH, is working with Scottish Autism to develop their inclusive governance approach in a way that is co-produced, equal and respectful of autistic people's rights. Click here for more information.

ARGH offers two courses as part of the National Post Diagnostic Support Service. Click here for more information.

Feb 2021 Latest News! The Scottish Government are asking autistic people to take part in a series of nine Autism Equality Workshops. Click here for more information and links to registration.

Autistic Pride Day 2019

The Scottish Government have agreed to fly the Autistic Pride flag at their Headquarters, St Andrews House to support Autistic pride day 18th June.

Thank you to Catherine Crompton for this Gif

Autistic Pride Day 2019

Bellfield Park, June 15th

11am-2pm

For more information Click here
ARGH Autism Alert Card

ARGH's autism alert card is available to all autistic people, children or adults, across the UK: You can now order our Card directly from the website. We have two cards to order Click here to see and order the ARGH autism alert cards

Inclusive Education for Autistic children and Young People

An event that was held on 17th May 2019 at Inshes Church
For more information Click here
Autism Acceptance Day 2019 in Inverness

Click here to see Ness Bridge in Inverness bathed in spectrum colours for Autism Acceptance Day

PARC Autistic Fringe (Glasgow)

ARGH helped PARC (The Participatory Autism Research Collective) organise their Fringe event in Glasgow last year.
Click here to see the Programme
Autistic Pride Day 2018

The Scottish Government flew the Autistic Pride flag at their Headquarters, St Andrews House to support Autistic pride day 18th June

please Click here to view the full press release for more information.

Highland One Stop Shop report
Click here to see the report
Autistic Pride day 2017

ARGH's 2017 Autistic Pride Day event, Click here
to see photos

ARGHNews Spring 2017

After a long break we have brought back the ARGH Newsletter with a special 10th anniversary edition.

Autistic Pride day 2016

ARGH's 2016 Autistic Pride Day event, Click here
to see photos

Autistic Pride Day celebration June 2015

see pictures from our great day Click here.

Autistic Europe Fringe

Click here
for more information

ARGH, in partnership with the NAS Scotland were delighted to hold an Autism and Ethics conference; from the Autistic perspective. For more information Click here.

Damian Milton In inverness

audio of Damian's talk now available here

Ari Ne'eman in Inverness

audio of Ari Ne'eman's talk now available here

Wenn Lawson & Dinah Murray in Inverness

Autism and Mental Health

A joint report by ARGH and HUG: Click here

Other colour schemes

For different background and text colours choose from list below Blue text on yellow background
White text on black background

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ARGH is a collective advocacy, lobbying and campaigning group based in the Highlands of Scotland. We are run by and for autistic adults. The ARGH committee and full voting members are all autistic. If you would like to join ARGH either as an autistic person or as an associate member you can apply using this form.

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Number 6 One stop shop for adults with high-functioning autism

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By AMASE mental health advisor and co-founder Sonny Hallett, and member Colin Kerr

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Autistic Mental Health - Improving access to mental health support for autistic people - by autistic people.

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Dedicated to improving mental health support for the autistic community, with resources and training designed and delivered by autistic people, with research informed by autistic experiences and expertise.

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StepChange Debt Charity. Free Expert Debt Help & Advice

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StepChange is the UK’s leading debt charity. Get expert debt help and advice and fee-free debt management to help you tackle your debts.

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Money Advice Scotland is Scotland’s money charity. Our aim is to be the driving force towards financial wellbeing for the people of Scotland.

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About us:

Granton Information Centre (GIC), established in 1984, gives free and independent benefits, general housing and money/ debt advice for anyone in need, residing within our catchment areas. We provide a high quality telephone and friendly face-to-face advice service for those in need of assistance.. The main issues we deal with at Granton Information Centre are:

GIC are funded by the Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, NHS Scotland and Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB)​​

Welfare benefits

Housing issues

Debt/money advice ​​

Charitable grants / foodbank referrals.

Our voluntary management committee currently employ 13 management/administration and advice staff who are responsible for the day to day running of GIC.
Our Scottish Charity No. is SCO16522.

Our office telephone hours are:
Mon-Fri: 09.30 - 12.30
If you leave a clear message on our answering machine with your telephone number included, we will call you back!
Please be aware we are closed annually between Christmas and New Year and on Edinburgh public Holidays ​ Public holidays - The City of Edinburgh Council

What we do:

In 2019 - 20:
We dealt with 9977 enquiries from 9090 clients
We dealt with 1771 housing cases
We represented 158 local people at tribunals
Through income maximisation we generated £3,319,334.22p money local people were entitled to but had not been claiming.
We dealt with £823,408.06p of NEW DEBT
We carried out twenty home visits

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Granton Information Centre (GIC), established in 1984, gives free and independent benefits, general housing and money/ debt advice for anyone in need, residing within our catchment areas. We provide a high quality telephone and friendly face-to-face advice service for those in need of assistance..

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Free Debt Advice and Support | National Debtline

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Get free, confidential debt advice from an independent England and Wales debt charity. Call, chat online, or use My Money Steps for expert support today.

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At Changeworks, we specialise in...

At Changeworks, we specialise in...

Getting £140 discount off your electricity bill, or £140 credit to your prepayment meter, is not widely advertised, so you may not have heard of it. We find that many householders who are eligible for this discount...

Read more

Sheila Charters, a Borders resident, wanted to save money on her heating bills. She usually...

Read more

We work in partnership with the Scottish Government, local authorities and Home Energy Scotland to deliver the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes (EES: ABS). Over the last twelve years,...

Find out more

Changeworks is working in partnership with Scottish Borders Council, Scottish Borders Citizens Advice Bureaux and Home Energy Scotland to provide support and advocacy to those living in cold damp...

Find out more

Twitter feed

Twitter feed

📣Closes soon! Exciting opportunity for qualified Monitoring and Evaluation Manager to lead delivery of our current... https://t.co/HyLbSBiMt3

It's great to hear from our partners about the impact of the Edinburgh Reuse Map! Check it out for yourself. You ca... https://t.co/4HdITVr3j0

Hawick residents! Worried about your electricity and heating bills? Chat with our advisors at Burnfoot Community Fu... https://t.co/ajukFnz0c6

Follow us

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At Changeworks, we specialise in... At Changeworks, we specialise in... Getting £140 discount off your electricity bill, or £140 credit to your prepayment meter, is not widely advertised, so you may not have heard of it. We find that many householders who are eligible for this discount...

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The cost of living crisis and the increase in energy prices are worrying for us all. We can help with free, impartial advice on saving energy, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, cutting water waste and more. We've also published a detailed list of programmes and services that can help with financial support like debt, emergency funding and fuel vouchers.

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Free, impartial advice on energy saving, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, greener travel, cutting water waste & more. Contact us today.

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Surviving Economic Abuse: Transforming responses to economic abuse

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Surviving Economic Abuse (SEA) is the only UK charity dedicated to raising awareness of and transforming responses to economic abuse.

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How can we help?

We know everybody's different, but choose the statement that best describes you or your situation and we'll suggest some relevant topics.

Still not sure where to start?

Don't worry. We're here to help guide you to the information you need. Use the links below and we'll point you in the right direction.

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The Mental Health and Money Advice service

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Acas | Making working life better for everyone in Britain

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Acas is the workplace expert for England, Wales and Scotland. We provide free and impartial advice for employers and employees, training and help resolve disputes.

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Want to help someone?

Does someone you know need support and a safe place to sleep?

Get advice and information here.

I want to make a difference

We need your help!

Click here for information about things we need: your support, skills and donations

Vacancies

Join us! We are on the hunt for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers and staff to join our team.
Donate now
We are always looking for ways to give more and make life a little better for the people we work with. You can help.

Support our Christmas Care Appeal

We want to provide individually tailored care packs to everyone experiencing homelessness that we support into accommodation. Please support this Appeal.
Read More

Michael's Story: More Dignity. More Hope.

The people we support do amazing things every day to overcome trauma and any difficulties they face. Michael is now in his own home. He speaks about the support he receives from the Access Hub, including help with opening a new bank account.
Read More

People are at the heart of what we do....

Our vision is for everyone to have a safe place to live with access to the help they need. Every day we help make positive things happen for people facing extremely difficult circumstances.

Everything we do is about and for people: the people we support, our staff, our partners and everyone affected by homelessness.

Our values are built into every area of activity and tell the story of how people remain at the heart of the Simon Community.
Read more about us

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Simon Community Scotland | Everyone Deserves a Safe Place to Live

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Get advice and information here. Click here for information about things we need: your support, skills and donations Vacancies Join us! We are on the hunt for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers and staff to join our team. Donate now We are always looking for ways to give more and make life a little better for the people we work with.

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How Crisis can help you

Every year we work with thousands of people to help them rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good. How we can help depends on someone's needs and situation.

One of our friendly experts will spend time with you to work out what you need. We could help you with:

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How Crisis can help you Every year we work with thousands of people to help them rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good. How we can help depends on someone's needs and situation. One of our friendly experts will spend time with you to work out what you need.

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We believe in the collective power of tenants to come together to fight for their rights, and use diverse tactics - including direct action when necessary - to achieve this.

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Homeless Charity in Scotland | Cyrenians

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Cyrenians is a charity aimed at tackling the causes and consequences of homelessness. Learn more about our charity work and how you can support us today.

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There's so much you can do locally and nationally to build a fairer housing system.

Sign up now to be kept updated on our work, campaigns, fundraising activities, events, volunteering opportunities, and products and services.

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We're here so no one has to fight bad housing or homelessness on their own.

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Housing Options Scotland | Right Home, Right Place

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Finding the right home in the right place can be a confusing and stressful experience. If you have a disability, mobility problems or other specific needs, it can be even more complicated. We're here to help.

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We are a local Edinburgh charity that provides free, confidential and independent advocacy for carers supporting someone with mental or physical health difficulties.

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Edinburgh Young Carers
Youth matters
Edinburgh Young Carers is a voluntary organisation that provides respite and support to young people living in North and South-East Edinburgh, between the ages of 5 and 25, who care for somebody at home. We aim to improve the lives and wellbeing of young carers by raising awareness, offering emotional and practical support and by giving each young person the opportunity to take a break from their caring role and have fun in a friendly, supportive environment where they can be themselves and leave worries behind.

Do you look after someone who suffers from:

Mental health problems?
Disability?
Chronic ill-health?
Drug and alcohol use?

Young Carers' rights
It's important to remember that each young carer is a unique individual, a child who is entitled to a childhood, a person who is entitled to discover their potential, and a human being whose rights should be respected.

£20

will pay for a young carer to get an evening's break in an activity group with other young carers

Help make a difference

Why do we work in schools?

Enable greater identification of and support to Young Carers in Edinburgh, through working directly with primary and secondary schools.

EYC on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2d8zGDFQKW/

EYC on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/109279925828470/posts/2552821611474277

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Youth matters Edinburgh Young Carers is a voluntary organisation that provides respite and support to young people living in North and South-East Edinburgh, between the ages of 5 and 25, who care for somebody at home.

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The VOCAL 100 club is our monthly lottery which raises money for carer support and pays out half of the fund in cash prizes. This Read more

The upcoming UK General Election represents an opportunity to vote for a party with an understanding of the needs and priorities of unpaid carers. We Read more

"...I feel like I live in an open prison on a desert island." VOCAL (Voice of Carers Across Lothian), in partnership with Edinburgh Health and Read more

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VOCAL: Support for unpaid carers in Edinburgh & Midlothian

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Are you a carer living in Edinburgh or Midlothian? VOCAL supports unpaid carers through information, peer support and access to services.

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Compliance status

We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability. To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level. These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more. This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific disabilities to adjust the website's UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs. Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website's HTML, adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments. If you've found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we'll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website's operators by using the following email lisa@nwcarers.org.uk

Screen-reader and keyboard navigation

Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website's functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here's how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements, alongside console screenshots of code examples:

Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website's components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website. In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels; descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups), and others. Additionally, the background process scans all of the website's images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology. To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on as soon as they enter the website. These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.

Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website's HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside of it. Users can also use shortcuts such as "M" (menus), "H" (headings), "F" (forms), "B" (buttons), and "G" (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Disability profiles supported in our website

Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.

Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.

Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.

ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.

Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.

Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as "M" (menus), "H" (headings), "F" (forms), "B" (buttons), and "G" (graphics) to jump to specific elements.

Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments

Font adjustments - users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.

Color adjustments - users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over 7 different coloring options.

Animations - epileptic users can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.

Content highlighting - users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.

Audio muting - users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.

Cognitive disorders - we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.

Additional functions - we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.

Browser and assistive technology compatibility

We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers), both for Windows and for MAC users.

Notes, comments, and feedback

Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs, there may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to lisa@nwcarers.org.uk

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We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of circumstance and ability. To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.

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We provide support to Africans with underlying health issues and concerns such as, mental health, Hepatitis B, HIV, poor sexual health cancer and diabetes. The African community particularly struggle to access culturally appropriate assistance. P4F provides culturally sensitive information relevant to our communities needs to enable individuals access services and manage their illness in a way that matters to them.

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(All LINKnet services are free of charge and offered to minority ethnic people living in Edinburgh and the Lothians)

One-to-one mentoring/befriending service

Drop-in service (now offered online)

Voluntary work placement service

Ethnic Talent Showcase

Training centre

Language centre

Edinburgh Smile project on Oral Health

1. One-to-one mentoring/befriending service
One-to-one mentoring/befriending is provided for education, employment and personal development of minority ethnic people living in Edinburgh and the Lothians. A qualified, experienced and trained volunteer mentor/befriender is assigned to a mentee/befriendee to provide support (for up to six months) 2 to 3 hours per week, for the mentee/befriendee to achieve employment, access further education, improve English language skills, improve self-confidence and self-esteem, to learn about other services and to make new contacts.

Anyone over 18 years of age from minority ethnic communities can receive the service.

Anyone from any community who is willing to offer voluntary help can become a mentor/befriender. Please call LINKnet on 0131 225 7970 or send an email to volunteers@linknetmentoring.com for further information and how to register as a volunteer.

"In my first visit to LINKnet's office I felt like walking in to a friend's house. David was very welcoming offering me a cup of tea as the weather was so cold outside! I started meeting my mentor regularly in a coffee shop. First few meet ups were to discuss my plans and also to get my CV done. Once I decided my career choice, my mentor was extremely supportive and helpful in directing me to achieve my goals. In as little as three months I was able to secure a position as a Trainee Early Years Practitioner with the Edinburgh City Council where I am training while working full time for the next two years" - Hasnae.
2. Drop-in service
LINKnet hold a weekly drop-in service (on Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm) for people to come in without an appointment to seek short-term support for job applications, CV writing, interview techniques, job searches, writing cover letters and other official letters, seeking information on housing, benefits, domestic abuse, mental health, help in basic computer skills and setting up email accounts, basic knowledge on social media, and so on.

The service is very popular among those who do not seek long term mentoring but one off help.
Note: Due to Covid-19, we are now offering this service as an online service where possible. 3. Voluntary work placements
LINKnet offers volunteer work placements within and with its partner organisations to job seekers who do not have UK work experience in order for them to get work experience. At least four hours per week (within a day) commitment is required of the potential volunteers. Voluntary work is available in office administration, out-reach development work, fundraising volunteering, and volunteer mentoring/befriending.

Our partner organisations include both private and voluntary sector organisations. They offer opportunities in various other areas of voluntary work.

"When I first visited LINKnet office, I found people there are friendly and do their best to help me find a class that suites me (They also answered all of my questions surrounding the available classes). They offered me an opportunity to work with them in their office as a volunteer. I found it very useful and gained a lot of skills especially front house skills. That enabled me to secure employment as an Out Reach Development officer." - Wafaa
4.Ethnic Talent Showcase
LINKnet has now launched a project to promote drama, dance and/or musical talents of minority ethnic people.

Project Format

Stage 1

LINK will request people to register their interest to perform to audiences that LINKnet will organise.

Stage 2

Once you register your interest, a panel will select 4 items for each show. We plan to hold 3 shows per year.

Stage 3

On the day of the performance, the selected groups/individuals will perform in front of an audience that comprises people who are involved in the entertainment business and the general public.

Stage 4

The performance will be followed by awarding presents to winners.

Stage 5

Finally, there will be a post-performance discussion and networking.

Conditions:

Individual and group items must be between 20 minutes minimum and 30 minutes maximum. Group items could be a drama, a music band or a dance troupe, individual performance could be stand-up comedy, dancing, singing or playing music. Groups must have at least 50% of minority ethnic representation in the composition of their cast and crew and individuals have to be from minority ethnic groups. At the registration stage you will be asked either to explain what you plan to do or to send a sample of your act.

All performing groups will receive £200 each as apresent for the show in Dec 2018. This may change for the future events.

Expected outcomes:

Minority ethnic talents to be recognised by the industry entrepreneurs

To improve artistic talents

Improve English language skills

Make new contacts

Come out of isolation and loneliness

If you can perform as an individual or as part of a group please call Dissa on 0131 225 7970 or email to volunteers@linknetmentoring.com for further information or to register your interest.

This project is funded by One City Trust
5. Training centre
LINKnet currently offers the following: Care work training, Mentor training, Employability skills training, Outreach work training, and Office administration training. Training time tables are advertised from time to time as part of LINKnet's outreach programme.
6. Language centre
Group English classes are offered twice a week at beginner-to-intermediate and intermediate-to-advanced levels (one day for each level). Classes focus on improving practical language skills for employability, further education, and life in the UK.

"When I arrived to Linknet I was surprised by the simplicity of how the teacher explains English grammar. Till that moment I was so confused in it, but there I saw the connections between the grammatical parts. Also, the examples given by the teacher during the classes were from daily life, so I could implement them in my daily activities in Edinburgh.

I liked as well that the teacher doesn't act differently when someone made a mistake and I think this encourage people to improve their English. The teacher was very patient to explain me when I have doubts in some grammatical rules.

The material provided during the classes contained very useful information. At the same time, arriving from a long and exhausting day in front of the computer, I received from Linknet a lot of energy, positivity, moments of laugh, that I missed so much in this cold environment.

In my opinion, the quality of these English classes is better than a university course. I am very satisfied with the information I received at Linknet." - Marina
7. Edinburgh Smile
"Edinburgh Smile" project has been designed to reduce oral health inequalities amongst ethnic minorities, in particular people most at risk by bringing the community in and deliver oral and wider health improvement messages in an accessible manner that is inclusive to all. Under three themes of education. advocacy and practice, we aim to achieve three wider objectives:

Education: To Increase awareness of oral health among ME communities, including new arrivals, refugees and asylum seekers, especially in deprived areas of Edinburgh such as Muirhouse, Wester Hailes, Pilton, Craigmillar, Gracemount, The Inch, Broomhouse, and Parkhead by means of:

Peer support

Workshops

Sessions with dental practices

Promotional material (examine current promotional material, simplify and/or translate into 5 major ME languages)

Advocacy: To Improve contacts with dental practices through:

Helping to register people with dental practices

Helping to make appointments with dental practices

Accompany people to dental practices

Act as advocates and/or interpreters

Practice: To prevent deterioration of oral health, introduce good practice through collective or one to one sessions on

Brushing and flossing

Fluoride

Selecting dental products

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, no dental clinics are open, except for emergencies. We have at LINKnet and MEHIS- NHS a new free remote service which will allow you to talk to a dentist and experienced volunteers to ask for advice about your oral health. This will be through virtual/ remote workshops, one to one or small group using Zoom or any other platforms such as Skype, Whatsapp or Imo. If you would like to use this free service, please call or WhatsApp 07788 762576 and we will get in touch with you with date and time.

Testimonials

Olayinka Dada:
"I came in contact with LINKnet Mentoring Ltd through a family friend. And my first day at LINKnet was really welcoming and pleasant..."
Read more
Pepita Gomez:
"I arrived in Edinburgh in Aug 2014 with my daughter. Our English was poor. I started learning English in a class that was conducted by an association."
Read more
Russell Dadzie:
"I was introduced to LINKnet Mentoring by a friend who had received mentoring a couple of years ago."
Read more

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(All LINKnet services are free of charge and offered to minority ethnic people living in Edinburgh and the Lothians) One-to-one mentoring/befriending service Drop-in service (now offered online) Voluntary work placement service Ethnic Talent Showcase Training centre Language centre Edinburgh Smile project on Oral Health 1.

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NKS is about improving quality of life for families by combating isolation and deprivation. Come and join hands with us to bring change and empower communities.We want to do our bit to make Edinburgh a better place to live.

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ESTABLISHED SINCE 1987​ Empowering women and their families to make better and informed life choices NKS is an established platform for women and their families to collectively address issues of concern to them living in Scottish society. NKS PROJECTS NKS SERVICES INDEPENDENT HEALTH ADVOCACY This is to support women on a one to one basis [...]

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Expressing your feelings

Sharing your feelings and experiences with the group can be a very therapeutic and healing experience, particularly as you find that others in the group will listen nonjudgmentally and empathetically. It is important to be heard.

Learning helpful information

Support groups offer lots of practical tips and you can learn healthy coping methods from others.

What to expect at the peer support group meeting?

A safe, relaxing and regulated environment.

All meetings will be conducted through ZOOM.

You do not have to talk if you do not want to.

You can leave when and come back if you need space.

Some sessions may offer educational opportunities, such as a guest doctor, psychologist or social worker to talk about a topic related to the group's needs. But this will be discussed and agreed upon beforehand.

All sessions are confidential.

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Online Peer Support Group - ESA Scotland

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Expressing your feelings Sharing your feelings and experiences with the group can be a very therapeutic and healing experience, particularly as you find that others in the group will listen nonjudgmentally and empathetically. It is important to be heard. Learning helpful information Support groups offer lots of practical tips and you can learn healthy coping methods from others.

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Saheliya is a specialist mental health and well-being support organisation for black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls (12+) in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area.

Our staff are from a variety of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we all have an understanding of how race, gender and culture affects the mental well-being of black and minority ethnic women and girls.

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Saheliya is a specialist mental health and well-being support organisation for black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls (12+) in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area. Our staff are from a variety of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we all have an understanding of how race, gender and culture affects the mental well-being of black and minority ethnic women and girls.

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Project Esperanza CIC, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. 583 likes. A womanist initiative dedicated to bringing specialist services & culturally appropriate support to women of African heritage in North...

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Phone our helpline for free and confidential legal information. We also offer face to face advice at our legal surgeries. Find out more...

I need help

We help women aged 16 and over affected by violence and abuse by providing free legal information and advice through legal guides, weekly helplines and legal surgeries. Find out how we can help...

Sexual Harassment

Our specialist legal service provides information, advice, and representation to women who have been sexually harassed at work, in further education, or online. Find out more...

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We help women aged 16 and over affected by violence and abuse by providing free legal information and advice through legal guides, weekly helplines and legal surgeries. Find out how we can help... Our specialist legal service provides information, advice, and representation to women who have been sexually harassed at work, in further education, or online.

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@EdinWomensAid

Help us tell our story of 50 years supporting survivors!! We're in the process of gathering as much information as we can about the history of Edinburgh Women's Aid, including photos and stories, and would love to hear from you if you can help. email hello@edinwomensaid.co.uk https://t.co/lkg6whKLtj

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EDINBURGH WOMEN'S AID | Working towards a society that's free from abuse.

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@EdinWomensAid Help us tell our story of 50 years supporting survivors!! We're in the process of gathering as much information as we can about the history of Edinburgh Women's Aid, including photos and stories, and would love to hear from you if you can help. email hello@edinwomensaid.co.uk https://t.co/lkg6whKLtj

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Get In Contact

01786439988

We offer a message of hope

From our experiences we know that despite the turmoil and uprooting a new happier and heathier life is achievable.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Update

With COVID-19 developing in so many countries around the world, our commitment is to adhere to the latest advice from Public Health Scotland and UK Government advice.

The therapies are currently operating as normal. The well-being of ladies we support, volunteers and service providers is our absolute priority. Getting the information of the number of positive cases and following advice from the government in relation to COVID-19 and social distancing we have decided to move most of our face-to-face therapies and programmes to virtual sessions, which will allow all our beneficiaries to continue their healing journey and therapy progress , despite the impact of the COVID-19 disruptions.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and loyalty, HSTAR promises to continue to support all of our women with their trauma/abuse overcoming journey.

If you have any concerns or any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the charity team at traumarecovery@hstar-scotland.org

OUR CALENDAR

Take a look at our calendar, and look through our events.

FACEBOOK FEED

Stay up to date on the latest news, and meet people from our community.

Make a difference

Our volunteers and supporters are the bedrock of our charity and with their help, we can reach and support a wider group of people from our communities. Help us increase the quality of life and happiness of the individuals we support.

help us

by donating

HSTAR support women in Scotland who have suffered from trauma or abuse. We understand the on-going impact this has, and we focus on recovery, resilience and community integration.

Each donation provides these ladies with the opportunity to rebuild their lives, lives free from pain and fear, lives filled with hope and love!

Help us increase the quality of life and happiness of the individuals we support.

CHEQUE

Cheques can be made payable to HSTAR Scotland SCIO and can be sent our hand-delivered to:

36-40 Cowane Street

Stirling, FK8 1JR

BANK TRANSFER

Name: HSTAR Scotland

Sort Code: xxxxxx

Account Number: xxxxxxx

Volunteer

Our volunteers are the bedrock of our charity and with their help, we can reach and support a wider group of people from our communities.
Are you looking to volunteer for a local charity that is making a difference in Central Belt of Scotland and want to give back to your community?

ADvocacy

HSTAR Scotland invites you to the Advocacy Clinic. Anything related to your mental health wellbeing, budgeting, nutrition, debts, benefits welfare, please contact us.

REFER SOMEONE

We are also receive referrals from third parties (charities, NHS, GPs, healthcare practices, organisations, friends and family).
Just submit our referral form, and we'll make sure to get to get back to you.

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Healed Scars | Empowering Women Affected by Trauma and Abuse

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Healed Scars is working towards a society in which violence, racism and abuse is no longer tolerated. If you require support please get in touch.

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Bereavement Advice Centre | Free Helpline

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We give practical information, advice and signposting on the many issues and procedures that face us after the death of someone close.

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grieftalk helpline

Grief Encounter's grieftalk helpline is open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday. We offer a confidential space to chat and be heard. We understand that it can be difficult to make that first move, that is why we are offering you several ways to get in touch:

By phone - call us now on 0808 802 0111

You can click on our instant web chat in the bottom right hand corner

Or email us anytime on grieftalk@griefencounter.org.uk

If you would like help, or need guidance and advice, for a friend or family member, we are happy to hear from you too. Our service is free and available to everyone and anyone suffering a bereavement.

email us now

"...I couldn't add my grief to my mum's and brother's. I needed someone else to turn to, outside of the family; A professional who was ready to listen and offer advice when I was ready to talk. I wasn't sure I could just pick up the phone, so being able to go online and instant chat made it easier for me. I could let out what I wanted to say and get practical advice on how to cope with everything I was feeling." Lucy, age 16 when her father suddenly died

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Grief Encounter's grieftalk helpline is open 9am-9pm Monday to Friday. We offer a confidential space to chat and be heard.

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If you would like to talk to someone confidentially and for as long as you need, you can call our helpline. It is a Freephone number that is free to call from landlines and most mobiles.

Our helpline advisers understand how hard it can be to talk about what you are going through and are patient and empathetic.

Contact our helpline
Call 0808 802 6868
or emailsupport@lullabytrust.org.uk
Calls to our helpline are free from all landlines and most mobile phone networks. The helpline is open:

Monday - Friday: 10am-5pm
Weekends and public holidays: 6pm-10pm

You can also talk to us via webchat on weekdays 10am-12pm.

The helpline does not offer a formal counselling service but is a listening service. Open every day of the year, our Helpline Advisers answer during office hours, and at weekends and public holidays the calls are answered by bereaved parents, grandparents, and other relatives. Everyone who contacts our bereavement support line will be offered the chance to be put in touch with a Befriender. For more information about Befriending support, see our Befriending page.

Your personal data

Our support service privacy statement tells you how we use, store and share any personal data that you might give us.

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If you would like to talk to someone confidentially and for as long as you need, you can call our helpline. It is a Freephone number that is free to call from landlines and most mobiles. Our helpline advisers understand how hard it can be to talk about what you are going through and are patient and empathetic.

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Sands | Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Sands works to support anyone affected by the death of a baby; improve the care bereaved parents receive; and create a world where fewer babies die.

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Winston's Wish is the UK's childhood bereavement charity. We support children and their families after the death of someone important.

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We help children, young people, parents, and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies.

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Lives are transformed by the love and companionship pets bring. So, saying goodbye to one - whether due to death or separation - is always sad, difficult and often traumatic. It affects people in many ways.

But, remember, you are not alone. If you are grieving for a pet, or facing loss, our free and confidential Pet Bereavement Support Service (PBSS) is here for you by phone, email or webchat.

Our mission is to reach as many people as possible with compassion and understanding, so that no one goes through the pain of losing a pet alone.

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Lives are transformed by the love and companionship pets bring. So, saying goodbye to one - whether due to death or separation - is always sad, difficult and often traumatic. It affects people in many ways. But, remember, you are not alone.

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Losing a pet cat is much like losing any other member of the family and knowing how to react and what to do to ease your grief can feel like a challenge.

At Cats Protection, our designated grief support service can help you in dealing with the loss of your cat. Whether you're grieving the loss of a pet after euthanasia, your cat has gone missing or you've had to separate for other circumstances, a call to the Paws to Listen service may make all the difference.

Our dedicated volunteer listeners are on hand for when you need support. While we're unable to offer counselling, we can offer a sympathetic ear at a difficult time.

How am I meant to feel after losing my cat?

As with any loss you might experience, there is no 'right' way to feel after the loss of your cat. Your emotions and feelings are perfectly normal and are personal to you. For example:

you might feel like no one understands how you feel

you might feel guilty or blame yourself

you may feel confused or angry

you might feel that by talking to your family and friends, you are burdening them

Paws to Listen grief support service

If you're experiencing pet-related grief you can call our free and confidential phone line on 0800 024 94 94 to talk to one of our trained volunteer listeners.

The line is open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday - excluding Bank Holidays

If lines are busy, a call-back service is available

While we are unable to offer counselling, we can provide you with a sympathetic ear at this difficult time so please get in touch.

Alternatively you can contact us via our support form

For more advice on what to do when you're grieving the loss of your cat, take a look at our expert guides. You can also share your bereavement story with us or celebrate your cat with an addition to our Memory Wall.

For veterinary practices

To promote this service we have produced a range of resources, which can be ordered free of charge and displayed around your practice. We have wallet cards, leaflets for your reception and public areas. A4 posters are now available to download below.
Order your materials Download printable poster

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Paws to Listen | Helping support you through the loss of your pet | Ca

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Losing a pet cat is much like losing any other member of the family and knowing how to react and what to do to ease your grief can feel like a challenge. At Cats Protection, our designated grief support service can help you in dealing with the loss of your cat.

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What can we help you with?

We provide palliative and neurological support from our specialist centres and in people's homes.

Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, Berkshire

Sue Ryder Homecare Scotland, Stirling

Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, Gloucestershire

Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, Yorkshire

Sue Ryder St. John's Hospice, Bedfordshire

Sue Ryder Palliative Care Hub South Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire

Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre The Chantry, Suffolk

Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Dee View Court, Aberdeenshire

Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Lancashire, Lancashire

Sue Ryder Neurological Care Centre Stagenhoe, Hertfordshire

Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, Cambridgeshire

Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, Yorkshire

Sue Ryder's Online Bereavement Support makes it easy to connect with the right support for you - whether that's information and resources, qualified counsellors or a community of others with similar experiences.

Visit our Online Bereavement Community
Find others who truly understand. The Sue Ryder Online Bereavement Community is a place where bereaved people can exchange messages, share feelings and support each other.

Online Bereavement Counselling Service
Our Online Bereavement Counselling Service provides free, short-term support for anyone grieving for a loved one. Sessions are with qualified counsellors and held online using video chat, which means you can attend from the comfort of your own home.

Information and resources around death and dying
Expert information to help you deal with practical and emotional issues, from registering a death to coping with grief.

Find information about the palliative and neurological care that Sue Ryder provides, as well as answering questions about these types of care and our nurses.

Our policy and public affairs team lobbies to improve palliative, neurological and bereavement support.

We have a variety of information and resources available for health and social care professionals.

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We provide palliative and neurological support from our specialist centres and in people's homes. Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, Berkshire Sue Ryder Homecare Scotland, Stirling Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, Gloucestershire Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, Yorkshire Sue Ryder St.

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Skip to content

We are an Edinburgh based charity providing baby loss counselling and support to families, with over 40 years' experience of offering compassionate bereavement care in the community.

Sands Lothians is now Held In Our Hearts

We are a local charity providing baby loss counselling and support to families. Formerly known as SANDS Lothians, we have 40 years' experience of offering compassionate bereavement care in the community.

You may be reading this because your precious baby has died just hours ago, a few days ago or it may be months or even years. Whatever your circumstances, we are so sorry you find yourself here. We want you to know that you are not alone.

When your baby dies, it is an incredibly traumatic and extremely lonely time as you may struggle to find others who understand the overwhelming emotions you experience. We can be there to hold your hand and walk with you on your journey, as you start to find a way to cope with your grief.

Our families are at the heart of everything that we do. All our bereavement support services are free and for as long as they are needed. We know that no one person's grief is the same, so our support services are individualised for each family we support.

Your support and assistance with our work with the families is invaluable and we will support you as best we can. This may be through training, information sharing, organising a joint visit to a family or perhaps you wish to fundraise for us. We hope you find lots of information here but please contact us should you wish further support.

Held In Our Hearts has been our lifeline since our daughter was stillborn at 29 weeks last year.
The support they provide to bereaved families is immeasurable. Our very first phone call made such a huge impact on us, as well as receiving amazing practical advice about funeral arrangements, our emotions were suddenly validated - it was ok and normal for us to be feeling not only devastation and heartache but also huge amounts of love and pride for our beautiful little girl. Held In Our Hearts is so special, their support is family and person-centred and entirely tailored to each family's individual needs, not only when newly bereaved but throughout our lives. As bereaved parents themselves, they are in a unique position to understand and empathise with those of us who access their services and know all too well there is no "right and wrong" when it comes to grief. It's horrible that such a charity has to exist but thank goodness that it does!

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settings ACCEPT

UPDATE ON OUR SERVICES DURING COVID-19

We are so pleased to share that our sites in Edinburgh and West Lothian are now open and we are able to offer support either in person or remotely:
With love from us all Held In Our Hearts x

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Held In Our Hearts - Providing baby loss counselling and support

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Skip to content We are an Edinburgh based charity providing baby loss counselling and support to families, with over 40 years' experience of offering compassionate bereavement care in the community. Sands Lothians is now Held In Our Hearts We are a local charity providing baby loss counselling and support to families.

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Marie Curie Bereavement Service is a nationwide toll-free listening service for people grieving the loss of loved ones from terminal illnesses.

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PETAL provides all of its services FREE and provides a safe and confidential environment where those experiencing traumatic loss can meet with others in similar circumstances, to share mutual thoughts, feelings and experiences.

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Counselling may help you if you have a sense that something is not quite right and it's beginning to affect the quality of your life day to day. Counselling at the PF offers support to individuals over the age of 18, in the form of a confidential place where professional counsellors can help you explore the roots of your problems and work towards resolving them.

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counselling Edinburgh, low cost counselling Edinburgh, Edinburgh counselling

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Saheliya is a specialist mental health and well-being support organisation for black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls (12+) in the Edinburgh and Glasgow area.

Our staff are from a variety of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we all have an understanding of how race, gender and culture affects the mental well-being of black and minority ethnic women and girls.

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Saheliya is a black minority ethnic women mental health organisation based in Edinburgh,Provides counselling, befriending,support work and complementary therapies

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Relationships Scotland - Counselling, mediation and family support

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It goes without saying that 2020 did not turn out as we had envisaged. The Covid pandemic hit us in March and the mediation world, as others, scrambled to respond to a 'work at home' directive. Relationships Scotland had signed up to the Scottish Mediation Charter and planned to partner with Scottish Mediation to raise...

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Like other websites, we use necessary cookies to make our website work.

We'd also find it helpful to set optional analytical cookies to help us improve our website and your experience on it. But we won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.

Necessary cookies enable core functionality of the site including accessibility and security. You can disable these by changing your browser settings, but this will affect how the website works for you.

Analytics Cookies - We'd find it helpful to set Google Analytics cookies to help us improve our website and your experience. The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone.

For more information about cookies on our website please see our .

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Like other websites, we use necessary cookies to make our website work. We'd also find it helpful to set optional analytical cookies to help us improve our website and your experience on it. But we won't set optional cookies unless you enable them. Necessary cookies enable core functionality of the site including accessibility and security.

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Scotland’s leading social care developer and provider | Turning Point Scotland

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Scotland’s leading social care developer and provider. Pioneering through partnership to transform lives and aspirations. We build community and the capacity to be active citizens within it.

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For an up-to-date list of face to face meetings click here

All meetings listed are detailed in UK local time (GMT)
Whether you are a member of Alcoholics Anonymous or someone with a desire to stop drinking you are welcome to join us at the next AA meeting online.
We can continue to carry the established message of the programme of recovery, as laid out in the book Alcoholics Anonymous, through the application of contemporary technology.

Name: Edin Intergrp Alcohol Anon

Registering your online meeting

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If you want to set up a new AA meeting in this virtual format, or you are migrating an already registered physical AA meeting to an online format, please email email hidden; JavaScript is required .

We will list it on this E&M InterGroup site to ensure that it freely accessible to any alcoholic.

Please supply

Name, contact telephone number and email for Secretary and Link Keeper (Host)

Name of meeting

Time of meeting

Format of meeting

Relevant meeting link

It will then be registered with E&M InterGroup.

Also remember to registering with Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain

If you need technical support in setting up your ZOOM meeting please tell us in your email.

Protecting Anonymity in Zoom

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With shift to online meetings, many of us did not take time to investigate what this meant to the spiritual foundation of our recovery - namely, anonymity. Now that online meetings are accessible, we want to pass on best practices for protecting anonymity.

These have been curated from the membership and online resources.

The default Zoom settings run counter to AA's spiritual foundation of anonymity. The meetings are publicly accessible and full names and faces are often displayed. Additionally, by default all Zoom meetings are recorded to the Cloud. Turning that feature off is simple, fortunately.

There are other settings in the Meeting subtab that can also be adjusted, such as disallowing remote control of devices, file transfer, data sharing with Zoom, and screen sharing.

Here are some suggested settings for your meeting to use. Please note that most, if not all, of the settings below are not the Zoom default:

Go to: Settings > Recording and click off the Local and Cloud recording features.

In the Zoom Settings section, under the Meeting subtab:

Require Encryption for Third Party Endpoints

Disable Auto saving chats

Disable File transfer

Disable Feedback to Zoom

Disable Screen sharing

Disable desktop/screen share for users

Disable Remote control

Allow Virtual background (this is the Zoom default and allows the user to use a virtual background instead of the inside of their apartment, for example)

In the Zoom Settings section, under the Recording subtab:

Disable Local recording

Disable Cloud recording

Disable Automatic recording

Help using Zoom or Skype

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ZOOM

ZOOM is a video conferencing service that allows us to hear and see each other, bringing us closer to having a genuine face-to-face meeting. Unfortunately, there can be a bit of a learning curve to using it the first time. Remember:

Download the Zoom App onto your device. Download Centre

Edit your Zoom name to maintain anonymity eg Bill W

Access our schedule and click or tap the link to join your chosen online meeting

Click or Tap "Join with Video" or "Join Without Video" depending on your preference

Click or Tap "Call using Internet Audio". This is important otherwise you won't be heard.

Once you are in you can mute yourself by tapping the screen, or moving your mouse over the video to see the menu, and tapping the microphone icon that looks like this:

Calling in and cost of calls (info can be found here)

Skype

Download most current version of Skype from www.skype.com

Create an account

Add contact. Type in Skype Name above and say you are a friend of Bill W. when you send the invite

Log in 5 minutes before the meeting time. When you see the meeting ID online, call to be added to meeting

Make sure when you are not speaking your microphone is muted.

Online Meeting Etiquette

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Suggestions for video good meeting practices

Before your meeting, restart your phone or device. This often helps to make your meeting a better experience.

Get to the meeting early so you can connect with people, and to make sure your audio, video and microphone are working correctly.

Everyone should mute their microphone unless they want to share

Mute your phone or be in quiet space. Public places can get distracting with surrounding noise and people walking around.

If you are on your cell phone, set the phone to Do Not Disturb so other calls or notices don't interrupt your meeting time.

Try not to walk around with your video on or audio on. It is extremely distracting.

Always try to be somewhere with good good wifi or cell data signal and try not to move around too much so you keep your connection strong.

Remember if your Video or Audio is on, we can see and hear you. Treat going to the bathroom, making food/coffee, talking to others, changing clothes or whatever else you might want to do with consideration for your privacy.

The video of yourself is not a mirror. Don't use it as one during the meeting.

Consider your background. Be aware of your surroundings.

Wear acceptable clothing on, as if you were at a face to face meeting.

Post TEXT details of your own meetings so people can copy and paste the details.

While it is temping to do other things while muted or video is off, try not to distract yourself. Stay connected to the meeting so you and everyone else gets the most out of the experience.

AA Literature for Meetings

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Crew neither condemns nor condones drug use: we exist to reduce harm, challenge perceptions and help people make positive choices about their use of cannabis, stimulant and other social drugs and sexual health by providing non-judgemental, credible and up to date information and support.

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We are a charity that offers free, confidential support to people in England and Scotland who have issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health

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Experience, Strength and Hope

Cocaine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other, so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction.

The best way to reach someone is to speak to them on a common level. The members of C.A. are all recovering addicts who maintain their individual sobriety by working with others. We come from various social, ethnic, economic and religious backgrounds, but what we have in common is addiction

Membership

The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances.

Anyone who wants to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances (including alcohol and other drugs) is welcome.

Purpose

Our primary purpose is to stay free from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances and to help others achieve the same freedom. We use the Twelve Step Recovery Programme; because it has already been proven that the Twelve Step Recovery Programme works.

The only purpose of Cocaine Anonymous is to offer recovery to individuals who are suffering from addiction. Our experience has shown that the most effective way to attain and maintain sobriety is to work with others suffering from the same malady.

We use the Twelve Steps of Recovery, because it has already been proven that the Twelve-Step recovery program works.

Cocaine Anonymous is a Fellowship of, by, and for addicts seeking recovery.
Friends and family of addicts should contact Co-Anon Family Groups, a Fellowship dedicated to their much different needs.

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CA Scotland - Cocaine Anonymous Scotland

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Cocaine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other, so that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction. The best way to reach someone is to speak to them on a common level.

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COVID-19 - Service Updates

Treatment services and pharmacies may be operating in a different or reduced capacity due to COVID-19. A temporary database of treatment and needle exchange services can be found here.

The Scottish Drug Services Directory

This online directory has been developed to help people access contact information and details for over 200 agencies in Scotland who can help with drug treatment and care.

If you require the services of a needle exchange, please visit the Scottish Needle Exchange Directory.

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COVID-19 - Service Updates Treatment services and pharmacies may be operating in a different or reduced capacity due to COVID-19. A temporary database of treatment and needle exchange services can be found here. This online directory has been developed to help people access contact information and details for over 200 agencies in Scotland who can help with drug treatment and care.

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Peer support group for women in recovery. Getting connected to like minded women.

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Whether you've taken drugs, are thinking of taking them, or are just curious and want to know more, it's important to know the real facts about drugs. Know the highs, know the lows, know the risks. Learn everything you need to know about drugs right here.

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Our goal is to end Honour Based Abuse in the UK. We run a national helpline, offer training to professionals, gather data to inform policies and services, and campaign for change.

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Help us keep Victims of stalking safe

Palaldin NSAS is a not for profit organisation. The funds we raise enable us to continue our life changing work. With your help and support we can do more. There are many ways you can help to keep victims safe. Make a differnce to someones life now

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Paladin - National Stalking Advocacy Service

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Paladin NSAS is a trauma-informed national charity, established in 2013, to support victims of stalking in England and Wales. As well as having a team of accredited advocates ndent Stalking Advocacy Caseworkers (ISACs) ensure that high risk victims of stalking are supported and that a co-ordinated community response is developed locally to keep victims and their children safe.

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Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline

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Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline

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Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline

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What we do

Our helpline is here to support anyone experiencing domestic abuse or forced marriage, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues and professionals who support them. We provide a confidential, sensitive service to anyone who calls us.

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Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline - Scotland's Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline

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Our helpline is here to support anyone experiencing domestic abuse or forced marriage, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues and professionals who support them. We provide a confidential, sensitive service to anyone who calls us.

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Free Webinar - 19 November, 17:30 pm Fantastic news - we have an upcoming event that is free to attend for everyone. At 5:30 pm on 19 November 2020, we will be hosting the event on Zoom with speakers: Dr Elizabeth Bates, Iris Quar and Charlie Bird.

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National Association for People Abused in Childhood 

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National Association for People Abused in Childhood 

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NAPAC - Supporting Recovery From Childhood Abuse

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The National Association For People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) © is a Registered Charity in England and Wales. Registered Charity No. 1069802 | Company No. 3565696 | Registered Office: NAPAC, Canopi, 7-14 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YR. | © 2023 |

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FearFree will support:

Any man (including trans men)

Anyone from the LGBT+ community (including, but not limited to, lesbian/bisexual women, gay/bisexual men, trans men/women, and gender non-binary people)

FearFree is able to provide support to people in the following areas of Scotland:

Aberdeen (limited service)

Aberdeenshire (limited service)

East Lothian

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Midlothian

West Lothian

FearFree workers can offer a range of support including safety planning, emotional support, advocacy, mentoring, and practical support with housing, employment/education, and assistance to access appropriate benefits.
Advice on staying safe during the pandemic lockdown Advice on helping someone else Support services available during lockdown What can you expect from FearFree?

A non-judgmental and friendly response

A dedicated one-to-one case worker

Support that is based on your needs and goals

An emphasis on keeping you (and your children) safe

We won't tell you that you must leave your partner

If you would like to make a referral to FearFree, either for yourself or on behalf of another person, please complete the online referral form.

You can also talk to someone about the service and discuss making a referral on 0131 624 7270 - please note that this is not a support line and calls may go to answer machine. If you are leaving a message please tell us when it's safe to call you back, otherwise we won't be able to return your call.

You can also get in touch by email fearfreeinfo@sacro.org.uk
What is domestic abuse?
Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviour that is controlling and/or coercive. It can be physical, psychological, sexual or financial. It can include threats and insults. The actual actions do not define domestic abuse, as these actions are often very specific to the individual. Domestic abuse is defined by the intended impact - control.

You may feel that you have no autonomy or freedom, or that everything you do is dictated by your partner. You may feel like you are walking on eggshells, afraid of what your partner might do next or how they might respond to you. You may feel isolated from your friends and family. You may have experienced abuse or insults directed at you because of your identity and who you are.

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone. Although men's violence against women is more prevalent, domestic abuse exists in every kind of relationship, and every person deserves support to help them overcome these experiences. This is why FearFree was created. FearFree is a gender-informed service, recognising that the needs of men, and the needs of LGBT people can be different from those of cis gender women in heterosexual relationships, and they based on different life experiences.

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FearFree will support: Any man (including trans men) Anyone from the LGBT+ community (including, but not limited to, lesbian/bisexual women, gay/bisexual men, trans men/women, and gender non-binary people) FearFree is able to provide support to people in the following areas of Scotland: Aberdeen (limited service) Aberdeenshire (limited service) East Lothian Edinburgh Glasgow Midlothian West Lothian FearFree workers can offer a range of support including safety planning, emotional support, advocacy, mentoring, and practical support with housing, employment/education, and assistance to access appropriate benefits.

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SurvivorsUK | We challenge the silence to support sexually abused men

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SurvivorsUK. Men Overcoming Sexual Violence Together. We’re here for you.

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How can we help you?

We are a UK service supporting adults (aged 18+) who are experiencing intimate image abuse, also known as, revenge porn.

The Revenge Porn Helpline was established in 2015 alongside the legislation which made it an offence to share intimate images or videos of someone, either on or offline, without their consent. The Helpline is run by a small team of passionate and motivated individuals who are here and ready to help.
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What is intimate image abuse?
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What is intimate image abuse?

Intimate image abuse can include the behaviours of:

Sharing intimate images, either on or offline, without their consent.

Threatening to share intimate images.

Taking an intimate image without knowledge or consent.

Intimate image abuse can also be referred to as 'revenge porn', non-consensual pornography or image-based sexual abuse.

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What issues can we help with?
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What issues can we help with?

The main areas we can help with are:

Intimate images shared without consent

Threats to share intimate images

Images recorded without consent (Voyeurism)

Webcam blackmail (Sextortion)

Upskirting

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What we can't help with
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What we can't help with

We cannot help anyone under the age of 18

We cannot support people from outside of the UK.

We do not have the capacity to provide long term counselling to our clients

We cannot undertake criminal investigations or report to the police on the victim's behalf

Please find more information on who can help when we can't here.
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Designed and Developed by South West Grid for Learning (http://swgfl.org.uk/)

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Revenge Porn Helpline - 0345 6000 459 | Revenge Porn Helpline

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The Revenge Porn Helpline supports all adult victims of intimate image abuse living in the UK. You can get in touch for free, confidential help and support.

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Dedicated to supporting children and adults affected by childhood sexual abuse.

Ways To Make A Donation To The Moira Anderson Foundation

All transactions are completed on a secure site and you do not need to have a Paypal Account as most credit cards are accepted by paypal.

You can also make a donation through our JustGiving page, where you can make a secure payment via Credit or Debit card.

This will take you to the JustGiving website where you can create your own webpage to collect donations for The Moira Anderson Foundation.

The Moira Anderson Foundation is fortunate to have volunteers who assist with various aspects of the charity.

Our volunteers are committed and honest individuals and are valued members of the Moira Anderson Foundation.

Our Supporters and Accreditations

MAF has always been an agency with innovative ideas on personal safety but without funders and partners ideas often remain on the drawing board.

Latest News

All The Latest News From MAF

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Join Our Social Networks

Follow MAF To Keep Updated With News & Info

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Moira Anderson - Dedicated To Supporting Those Affected By Childhood Sexual Abuse

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Dedicated to supporting children and adults affected by childhood sexual abuse. Ways To Make A Donation To The Moira Anderson Foundation All transactions are completed on a secure site and you do not need to have a Paypal Account as most credit cards are accepted by paypal.

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You can make a difference... Get a full rundown of our digital services for young people during the pandemic Find out more There's loads of ways you can help us make Scotland the best place to grow up for LGBTI young people Find out more

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Switchboard provides a one-stop listening service for LGBT+ people on the phone,
by email and through Instant Messaging.
Find out more here.

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About the scheme

The people running this scheme are Scotland-based queers who have experience of binding themselves. After volunteering and working in the queer community for years and seeing people needing binders but not being able to afford them, we decided to set this scheme up to help.

If you have a used binder, we are happy to accept second-hand binders at any time to redistribute! Contact us at scotbinders@protonmail.com

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Scottish Binder Scheme Free chest binders for those who need them in Scotland. This binder scheme is run by volunteers and is not-for-profit. Get in touch for donations or questions at scotbinders@protonmail.com. Applications via the 'Apply' page. Measuring and Styles Find out the different style options and how to measure yourself.

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Notice of Meeting

The 2nd Annual General Meeting of Scottish Bi+ Network will be held on Zoom at 8pm on Monday 9th August 2021.

Agenda:
1. Welcome
2. Apologies
3. Chair's Report
4. Treasurer's Report
5. Election of Office Bearers
6. Proposals
- Becoming a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation)
- Removing or reducing the role of Treasurer
7. AOB
8. Proposed Date of Next AGM
9. Close

If you wish to raise any items for the agenda, please email lorna@scottishbinet.org by 5pm on Saturday 7th August 2021.

For those who cannot attend the AGM, nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary are to be received by 5pm on Saturday 7th August 2021.

For members who are attending the AGM, nominations for the positions of Chair and Secretary will be taken at the appropriate time during the AGM.

All members are welcome to attend the AGM.

Full details, including the link to the Zoom meeting, will be emailed to members.

If you have volunteered on behalf of the organisation since August 11th 2019, and have not yet received an invitation for membership, please email lorna@scottishbinet.org

Access Information:
There will be auto-generated live captions and live transcript available.

Additional Information:
See the following documents for more details on the roles of Chair and Secretary.
To view our constitution, visit our Policies & Guidelines page.

Join us for an evening of fun and mystery as we solve puzzles to escape the room!

This Sunday, May 30th, 7.30pm - 9pm on Zoom.

Get your free ticket here!
Access Information
We will have live captions, and a live transcript, provided by Zoom

For any additional accessibility queries, email info@scottishbinet.org, or send us a message through our social media channels.

We have a limited budget to help those who require financial assistance to attend, please email info@scottishbinet.org or send us a message through our social media channels for more details.

June is Pride Month - and that deserves a celebration!

Join us on Sunday 20th June from 11am to 5pm (GMT+1), for a day of pride themed online fun, activities, talks and workshops, and plenty of chances for everyone to socialise!
Provisional Schedule:

Time Zoom Discord

12.20pm - 1pm
Lunch Break
Lunch Chat

Get your free ticket from Outsavvy!

For more information, including any accessibility queries, email info@scottishbinet.org, or send us a message through our social media channels.

We have a limited budget to help those who require financial assistance to attend, please email info@scottishbinet.org or send us a message through our social media channels for more details.
Access Information
We will have live captions, and a live transcript, provided by zoom available for all of our zoom sessions.

All of our YouTube videos have captions available.

Special Thanks:

Equality Network

Equality Network is a leading Scottish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Categories Events, Pride

Our last Bi+ Gathering was so much fun that we've decided to hold another one!

Join us on Saturday 17th April from 11am to 5pm (GMT+1), for a day of online fun, activities, talks and workshops, and plenty of chances for everyone to socialise!
Provisional Schedule:

Time Zoom Discord YouTube

12.20pm - 1pm
Lunch Break
Lunch Chat

Sessions will be added as they are confirmed, along with information about videos!

Get your free ticket from Outsavvy!

Our Bi+ Gathering events keep getting bigger, and that means we need your help!
If you can spare an hour or two, we are looking for discord moderators, zoom support people, workshop facilitators, performers, and people to deliver talks or information sessions. All volunteer expenses will be reimbursed.

Sign up to volunteer here!

For more information, including any accessibility queries, email info@scottishbinet.org, or send us a message through our social media channels.

We have a limited budget to help those who require financial assistance to attend, please email info@scottishbinet.org or send us a message through our social media channels for more details.
Access Information
We will have live captions, and a live transcript, provided by otter.ai available for all of our zoom sessions.

All of our YouTube videos have captions available.

Special Thanks:

Soul Scrub - Chris (they/them)

I like to juggle and sing. I also write poetry, play guitar and hanpan, and I produce music using Ableton. My favourite thing to do is collaborate with other creative people. SoulScrub is that.
https://soulscrub.org/chris-gimby

Following the success of the Neurodiverse Space at our Bi+ Gatherings, we're excited to annouce that it's going to become a regular thing!

Join us on the second Sunday of every month at 7.30pm for our Neurodiverse Space!

Starting this Sunday, February 14th.

A space for all neurodiverse* people to talk about their experiences in a safe space.

*Neurodiverse includes autism, ADD/ADHD, Tourette's, and many other conditions, and this session welcomes those who are self-diagnosed.

This event is hosted on zoom.

Get your free ticket on Outsavvy!

For accessibility enquiries, or if you require financial assistance to attend the event, please email web@scottishbinet.org

Categories Events, Support

Join us on Thursday, 4th March at 7pm for An Evening of Queerativity!

An Evening of Queerativity will consist of affirming meditation, light movement work, then a guided reflection surrounding queer identities. The session will act as a confidence booster for anyone wishing to create and share their LGBTQ+ themed artwork.

This event will be hosted on Zoom.
Free tickets are available through Outsavvy!
For more information about Queerativity and their work, visit: queerativity.art

For accessibility enquiries, or if you require financial assistance to attend the event, please email web@scottishbinet.org

Our last Bi+ Gathering was so much fun that we've decided to hold another one!

Join us on Saturday 9th of January from 11am to 5pm, for a day of online fun, activities, talks and workshops, and plenty of chances for everyone to socialise!
Final Schedule:

*Please note that Beyond Binaries is a single 2 hour long session

Get your free ticket through Outsavvy!

For more information, including any accessibility queries, email info@scottishbinet.org, or send us a message through our social media channels.
Access Information
We will have live captions, and a live transcript, provided by otter.ai available for all of our zoom sessions.

All of our YouTube videos have captions available.

Special Thanks:

Single Bass

Singer/songwriter Single Bass "manages to make the bass fill the space most people need a band for" (Scene & Heard, Cambridge).

We'll be showing the premiere of a short video from a live gig in 2018, featuring the song Love to the Younger Me.

Website | Songs

Notice of Meeting

An Extraordinary General Meeting of Scottish Bi+ Network will be held on Zoom at 8pm on Monday 19th October 2020 to elect a new Treasurer.

Agenda:
1. Welcome
2. Election
3. AOB
4. Date of Next AGM
5. Close

If you wish to raise any items for the agenda, please email chair@scottishbinet.org by 5pm on Sunday 18th October 2020.

For those who cannot attend the EGM, nominations for the position of Treasurer are to be received by 5pm on Sunday 18th October 2020.

For members who are attending the EGM, nominations for the position of Treasurer, will be taken at the appropriate time during the EGM.

All members are welcome to attend the EGM.

Full details, including the link to the Zoom meeting, will be emailed to members.

If you have volunteered on behalf of the organisation since August 11th 2019, and have not yet received an invitation for membership, please email chair@scottishbinet.org
Additional Information:
See the following documents for more details on the role of Treasurer.

To view our constitution, visit our Policies & Guidelines page.

We'll be doing lots during Bi Visibility Month, but this is perhaps one of our biggest announcements: we are growing!

Until now, we've been entirely reliant on our amazing volunteers. Now, thanks to the generosity of The Weir Trust, we're in a position to be recruiting for our first paid role.

We're incredibly excited by this, and know it will allow us to expand and reach more people.

See below for details of the role!

Come join us on Saturday 19th September for The Bi+ Gathering from 10.30am - 6pm for a virtual community event in celebration of Bi Visibility Day.

All bi+ people and our allies are welcome to join us for a day of online fun, activities, talks and workshops.

The Bi+ Gathering

Time: Session: Platform:

10:30am - 6pm

All Day Discord Social:
Chat, online games, and general fun!

Discord

Videos, videos, and more videos: including safer sex information from SX, and an exclusive interview with a Hidayah member about being Bi & Muslim.
(These videos will still be available to watch after the event has finished!)
YouTube

11am - 12pm

Make-up Tutorials with Kate
Join Kate for some make-up tips and tricks!

Zoom

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Neurodiverse Space with Nic
A space for all neurodiverse* people to talk about their experiences in a safe space.
*Neurodiverse includes autism, ADD/ADHD, Tourette's, and many other conditions, and this session welcomes those who are self-diagnosed.

Zoom

2:30pm - 3:30pm

Mystery Session
It's a surprise! Join us on the day for more details 🙂

Zoom

4pm - 5pm

What Do We Want? More Bi+ Things!
Your chance to have your say about what support, resources, and events you would like to see available.

Zoom

The Bi+ Gathering will be hosted through Zoom, Discord, and YouTube.

Get your free ticket through OutSavvy, which will give you access to the zoom and discord links for the event!

For more information, including any accessibility queries, email info@scottishbinet.org, or send us a message through our social media channels.

Categories Events, Visibility

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Notice of Meeting The 2nd Annual General Meeting of Scottish Bi+ Network will be held on Zoom at 8pm on Monday 9th August 2021. Agenda: 1. Welcome 2. Apologies 3. Chair's Report 4. Treasurer's Report 5. Election of Office Bearers 6. Proposals - Becoming a SCIO (Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation) - Removing or reducing the role of Treasurer7.

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Free chest binders for trans folks who need them | Point of Pride

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Point of Pride provides free chest binders (specially-designed chest compression garments) to any trans person who needs one and cannot afford or safely obtain one.

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In the UK? Here's how to change your:

Don't know where to begin?

Read how to get started.

You're reading Gender Construction Kit, the UK guide to changing things that are linked to gender.

Gender Construction Kit is an open source project created by a team of volunteers.

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Read how to get started. You're reading Gender Construction Kit, the UK guide to changing things that are linked to gender. Gender Construction Kit is an open source project created by a team of volunteers.

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Rainbow Migration supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the asylum and immigration system.

We provide practical and emotional support for LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum to help improve their confidence and self-esteem and reduce isolation. We provide specialist legal information and advice, and campaign to improve the treatment of people seeking asylum.

We also provide legal advice and information to LGBTQI+ people who want to live in the UK with their partners.

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Rainbow Migration supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the asylum and immigration system. We provide practical and emotional support for LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum to help improve their confidence and self-esteem and reduce isolation. We provide specialist legal information and advice, and campaign to improve the treatment of people seeking asylum.

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Last updated: 5th July 2021
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Gendered Intelligence, established in 2008, is a registered charity that exists to increase understandings of gender diversity and improve trans people's quality of life.

We are a trans-led and trans-involving grassroots organisation with a wealth of lived experience, community connections of many kinds, and a depth and breadth of trans community knowledge that is second to none. We believe everyone can be intelligent about gender! There are multiple strands to our work. For more information about who we are go to our about us section or see below.

Find out more about what we do

Our work in the policy and media spheres, responding to consultations, requests for interviews and expert opinion.

This service deals with media engagement, engaging our supporters and others who may be interested in our work, and our trans-led research wing

Our work with organisations and professional individuals to improve trans inclusivity in workplaces and services.

Includes training, consultancy and speakers. We work with all types and sizes of organisation, across all sectors, in the UK and beyond. This service also includes our Therapists and Counsellors Network

Our work in schools, colleges, universities and other educational settings.

Includes training and consultancy for staff; one-to-one mentoring for young trans, non-binary and gender questioning young people; and workshops, lectures and assemblies for students.

Our direct provision for trans people, especially young trans and gender questioning people.

Taking in our youth work, residentials and trips, mentoring, helpline and activists network, and much more

Donate

Gendered Intelligence accepts online donations via our fundraising platform LocalGiving. You can give a one-off donation or donate monthly.
Every £1 you give to us, Localgiving adds another 25p!

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Gendered Intelligence is a Registered Charity in England and Wales No. 1182558. Registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee in England and Wales No. 06617608. Registered office at VAI, 200 Pentonville Road, London N1 9JP.

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Last updated: 5th July 2021-------------- We are a trans-led and trans-involving grassroots organisation with a wealth of lived experience, community connections of many kinds, and a depth and breadth of trans community knowledge that is second to none. We believe everyone can be intelligent about gender! There are multiple strands to our work.

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This page contains various resources from Action for Trans Health and from around the web which may be useful for trans people.

ATH Student Activist Guide This guide is for LGBT societies, queer activist collectives, and welfare officers who wish to organise for trans* healthcare on their campuses and in their communities.

ATH Interim Protocol Guide Our guide to what you should expect when seeking out transition related treatment on the NHS.
Changing your name and title
Gender Identity Clinics A list of UK GICs and their contacts

Housing Some information on housing and homelessness
Information on Hormone Therapy
NHS Surgeons Our list of current NHS surgeons

Sexual Health for trans people
Member Recommended GPs GP Shitlist

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This page contains various resources from Action for Trans Health and from around the web which may be useful for trans people. ATH Student Activist Guide This guide is for LGBT societies, queer activist collectives, and welfare officers who wish to organise for trans* healthcare on their campuses and in their communities.