A creative group for late diagnosed, Neurodivergent Adults

My name is Ruth and I was diagnosed with autism at the age of 39. I wanted to use my experiences and creativity to offer a safe and supportive place for other people like me. Because I’m what some people call ‘high functioning’, this poses many barriers to support, even though behind closed doors I’m not as high functioning as people assume.

The Reet Good Wood Club is specifically for Neurodivergent adults. With or without a formal diagnosis.

There is very little long term support out there for Neurodivergent Adults. People waiting for a diagnosis don’t get any support offered whilst on ‘the list’.

If you’re able to get a diagnosis, you’re often left to figure things out yourself.

After spending 39 years wondering why I struggled with certain things and wasn’t like my neurotypical peers, I received a formal Autism diagnosis. I’m currently in year THREE of a wait for an ADHD assessment. I have been offered no support during this time. I don’t need to be referred for counselling or CBT, because they’re not mental health conditions. So where do I go to get support during this time?

Being creative and Upcycling furniture really helped me have something to focus on. I struggle massively in social situations and busy places. I find working environments difficult because of my sensory needs and having to ‘fit in’. I can’t deal with unplanned change and have regular shut downs because I feel so overwhelmed. People like me need to be around other people who understand.

There are some groups out there for Neurodivergent Adults, but a lot of them are just to chat (which is hard for some people without doing an activity at the same time). So, The Reet Good Wood Club was born.

The sessions I offer are a great outlet for my peers to come and be creative, learn new skills and be around other people like them. I am funding this myself at the moment and really need some funding to help me provide weekly sessions for people. At the moment I can only finance one session a month, and as you can imagine, the demand far outweighs what I can currently afford to offer.

I am hoping to raise £7800, which will enable me to provide a minimum of one session a week for an entire year. This will cover operational costs and provide materials for our sessions . Any help you can give would be massively appreciated. I’m applying for other funding but it’s not always easy to secure. This fundraiser will give us some stability over the next year and give us some breathing space and time to secure more funding.

Please like and follow our journey on my Facebook page Reet Good Wood, or on Instagram @reetgoodwood.

Anything you can donate will be massively appreciated.

Thank you for reading.

Ruth