Weston-super-Mare-based group Neurovision brings people who are neurodivergent together to share their experiences. Billed as an ‘anti-social social group’, the monthly sessions are often the first time participants have felt comfortable explaining how they experience the world in a different way.
Neurovision was set up as a collaboration between Community Connect and Bridging the Gap Together!, which provides workshops for people with complex needs or disabilities and has now taken over running the group.
Community Connect is one of Curo’s support services, bringing older people from North Somerset together to form peer support groups to combat loneliness and improve health outcomes.
Participants in the Neurovision group may be on the autism spectrum, have dyslexia or dyscalculia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other forms of neurodivergence.
“A key aspect is that people trust the team to talk about issues they have never spoken about before,” says Jack Bailey, Head of Operations for Curo’s support services. “This sort of discussion would not have happened a few years ago.”
Here’s what some of the group members say:
Olivia: “It’s good that I can share my feelings in confidence, as I do have issues trusting people because of what’s happened to me in the past. It’s also nice to listen to other people’s experiences. I feel I can help others as I’ve lived through a lot and learnt to recognise how others are feeling. I feel heard when I leave the group.”
Terrii: “At first I was nervous, but I feel comfortable walking through the door now. This is a safe space where I can share my feelings and hear about other people’s lives. It’s a haven. Talking has made me realise things about myself that I never knew.”
Peter: “I’ve been coming to the group for six months. The group is helping me to understand why I do things the way I do them. One of the adventures I’ve been on is understanding myself better – it’s not always a nice journey as you can discover uncomfortable things. I know I’ve been helped by this group and I also want to help others. It’s been very nice to see that other members are happier than when they first joined.”
Funded by North Somerset Council in partnership with West of England Rural Network, anyone who’s eligible can self-refer to Community Connect to get information, advice or guidance to help them stay living independently at home. They can also be referred by their family, GP or support worker.
In 2022-23 Community Connect supported 1,504 people, with social return on investment – which measures value to the community – standing at £842,947.