A welcoming space for Autistic, ADHD and Neurodivergent adults. No pressure. No expectations. Just connection and understanding.
We meet
Last Tuesday of every month
5.30pm to 7.30pm
Our Crafty Place, Corporation Road, Ilkeston, DE7 4AS
Next sessions: 27 October and 24 November.
There is no session in December, and we will be back on 26 January 2027.
Diagnosed, self identified, or still exploring. You are very welcome here.
A little about our sessions
If you have never been to something like this before, it can help to know what to expect.Your facilitators are Lynne Fox and Susie Lambert.The sessions run for two hours, with a break in the middle for tea and coffee.We usually explore a topic around neurodiversity in the first half. The second half is social, with more refreshments, conversation, or quiet company if that suits you better.How much you join in is entirely up to you.
Some people talk,
some listen,
and both are welcome.There is nothing to prepare and nothing expected of you.There is no need to register or to tell us you are coming. Arrive when you can and leave when you need to. If it helps to bring something to fidget with, headphones, or a friend, please do. Family members are welcome too.We have resources available if you would like something to read or take away.At the start of each session we agree together that what is shared in the room stays in the room, and that anyone can ask for a warning before a difficult topic is discussed.
Who the group is for
The group is for adults who are neurodivergent, or who think they might be.
You don't need a diagnosis.
You don't need to be on a waiting list.
You don't need to have worked out what you are, or found the right words for it yet.
Most of us arrived somewhere in the middle of working it out, and that is a good place to start.We meet in Ilkeston, and members come from across Derbyshire. Whoever you are and however you identify, you are welcome here. That includes LGBTQ+ people,
people of every background and faith, and people living with any disability or health condition.More than anything, this is a community. Many of us spend our days masking, adapting, managing how we appear to others. Here none of that is needed.You can stim, look away, sit quietly, talk at length about something you love, or say nothing at all. It is a space to be yourself.It is worth saying what we are not, so nobody arrives expecting something we cannot give.We are peer support, which means we are people with lived experience sitting alongside each other. We are not a clinical service, so we cannot offer diagnosis, therapy or advocacy.
What we can offer is company, understanding, and connection with people who recognise something of themselves in you.
Practical Information
Our Crafty Place, 1 Corporation Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 4ASTap the address to open it in your maps app.
The Space
It is a craft studio that we hire for the evening, and a lovely room to sit in.Restored wooden floorboards, pale wooden tables and comfy chairs, with a high ceiling and plenty of windows, so it feels bright and airy rather than closed in.
There is room enough to sit a little apart from the group if that is what you need.The space is wheelchair accessible, with a ramp to the front door, level access throughout and a toilet with good turning space and grab rails.
Cost
There is no charge to come along. There is a donation box if you would like to donate towards tea, coffee and printing our resources. If money is tight, please come anyway. Nobody collects, nobody is turned away and nobody keeps track.
Getting there
There is no dedicated parking, but there is on-street parking in front of the building and plenty of side streets nearby.It helps to have landmarks. Look for KLG Rutland and the Gallows Inn, both next to the canal. Turn into the road running alongside KLG, called Thurman Street, which quickly becomes Corporation Road. Coming from Nottingham Road, we are on the left hand side, just opposite The Davy Lamp pub.If you are coming by bus, trentbarton’s ‘the two’ and my15 both stop on Nottingham Road, about five minutes' walk away.
Coming for the first time
If the thought of walking in on your own is the hard part, email or message us on Facebook a day or two before, and someone will be waiting outside to meet you and walk in with you. You will not have to find us in a room full of people.
Our Crafty Place
Resources
We have gathered together the things we have found most useful, some written by us and some from other organisations. Many follow on from topics covered at sessions.Press the button below to view them.We keep some paper copies in a Master Folder, to read or copy at the group meeting.
Other support
We are a peer group, so there may be times when you need more support than we can give. These services are there for those times.NHS 111, mental health option
Free, day and night, for anyone in Derby and Derbyshire. Call 111 and choose option 2.Derby Safe Haven
A calm, welcoming place to talk when things feel too much, for adults aged 18 and over. You can drop in or phone first. Open every evening, 4.30pm to 12.30am.
309 Burton Road, Derby, DE23 6AG
0330 008 3722Chesterfield Safe Haven
The same kind of support in the north of the county. Please phone first to check opening times.
01246 949410Samaritans
Free, at any time, for anyone who needs to talk. 116 123If you are in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.For the full list of local urgent support, visit Derbyshire Healthcare's crisis page.
If you are still working things out
Wherever you are with it, these may help.
NHS: ADHD
Clear information about ADHD, how it is diagnosed, and how to talk to your GP.NHS: Autism
Information about autism in adults and how to ask for an assessment.Derbyshire Healthcare: autism and ADHD assessment
Adults in Derbyshire can refer themselves for an autism assessment here. For ADHD, please speak to your GP, who can refer you through Right to Choose. Our gentle guide to ADHD and autism assessments explains how.Derbyshire Autism Services
A local charity offering advice, signposting and support, whether or not you have a diagnosis.First Contact Derbyshire
One free form that connects adults in Derbyshire with local help, from benefits and housing to social groups. You can also call 01629 533190.
Say hello
We welcome connection.
If you have a question about the group, or would just like to say hello before you come along, please do. No question is too small. Emails are confidential and will only be viewed by Lynne and Susie.Email us on [email protected] or complete the form below.We usually reply within a few days. You can also message us on the Derbyshire Neurodivergent Peer Support Facebook group if that is easier.
If things feel very hard and you need someone sooner, Samaritans are there at any time, free, on 116 123. You can also call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option. If you are in immediate danger, please call 999.