To mark ADHD Awareness Month and a year since our website launch, Reading ADHD Group is proud to introduce our brand-new Resource Hub.

It has been almost two years since the first Reading ADHD Group meetup and exactly one year since the launch of our website. It has always been our mission to provide ADHD support that is free at the point of service, which is why we have been providing regular online workshops, staying consistent with the in-person meetups, and sharing helpful tips via our social media channels. As we come to the end of ADHD Awareness Month, it brings us great pleasure to announce a new feature on our website. Today we are launching a brand-new Resource Hub.

Introducing Our Brand-New ADHD Resource Hub

One of the driving factors that influenced the decision to create a website was to generate a list of all the free local resources and put them in one place. But there was one problem — there wasn’t much to offer.

Over the course of the last year, we have been working hard to build a local community. Through the coping strategies workshops and collaborations with Ethical Reading’s Neurodiversity at Work initiative, as well as the in-person meetups, there has been an increasingly louder conversation about ADHD and the wider conversation around neurodiversity in Reading.

As well as events and collaborations, we have been creating a bank of resources and frequently asked questions to share with the local community. We have created a list of guides and toolkits that aim to help, no matter what stage you are at. We have covered everything from navigating employment to ADHD assessments. Whether you have a diagnosis, you’re waiting to be assessed, or you simply suspect you may have ADHD, these resources were built with you in mind.

Earlier on in the week, I delivered a presentation to the local ICB about ADHD, barriers to access, and privilege. I spoke about navigating NHS systems whilst battling with executive function difficulties, and how barriers to access don’t just stop at being able to skip the queue by going private. I spoke about how education and available resources play a key role in accessing ADHD support.

In Berkshire, it is currently around a four-year wait from when someone speaks to their GP about ADHD until the initial assessment. It’s a further one year to be titrated for medication. Outside of medication, there isn’t too much to accompany that. The resources that do exist are often hidden behind layers of red tape. This is why a grassroots initiative like Reading ADHD Group is so important to the local ADHD community.

We firmly believe ADHD pathways should never be circumstantial.

Join, Share, and Collaborate

It has been a fantastic couple of years since the beginning of Reading ADHD Group. What started as four people sat around the table of a community centre has turned out to bring so much value to the local ADHD community. I never thought we’d be hosting online workshops, or that I would be delivering psychoeducation courses. I am overwhelmed with joy.

I want to thank each one of you who have been coming to our meetings and online workshops. I also want to thank the workshop facilitators, Ethical Reading, and anyone who has written a guest blog. It’s truly amazing what has been achieved in such a short time frame.

For anyone who hasn’t yet joined one of our meetups or workshops, don’t be a stranger.

The Resource Hub is now live, and you can check it out here. Please get involved with Reading ADHD Group and help support your local ADHD community by sharing this resource far and wide.

This post was written by Jamie Gordon, the founder and facilitator of Reading ADHD Group.