Neurodiverse Friends Bournemouth

Just a group of good friends from neurodiverse backgrounds. We reach out to others from similar backgrounds regardless of student status or employment status. We have no office (unless you include Starbucks!). No expenses. No fundraising. Just volunteers and this shockingly poor website! There is no distinction between the befrienders and the befriended. It's time to love again!

Raising Autism Awareness and Community Protection

Due to my spare time being spent in the community I have little time to create a nice flash website. So I go for more of a simple blog approach.

5th May 2023 - The electorate have voted for social justice

Tories think they're right, the truth-seekers left!

My Friends, a new BCP Council has been voted in. Your votes counted (eventually, after many recounts of East Cliff and Springbourne). Time for truth, time for seeing the most vulnerable supported and not abused and defamed. Keep their campaign literature, highlight what is important to you, and hold them to their promises! Votes won on promises not kept is fraud! Join the party and win for social justice. - A Qureens Park supporter/constituent!!!

4th May 2023 - Local elections

A friend reports spending time with candidates and supporters at two polling stations in his ward. His observations were that only two parties had candidates show up - Greens and Conservatives. There was a real sense for a desire for change and many discussions around corruption under the current leadership of BCP Council. He reports his hope that the needed change will bring needed improvements to supporting and protecting vulnerable adults and those with autism. The man has been denied access to anxiety support and peer support. He has first hand experience of the neglect and further abuse he had suffered after reporting safeguarding incidents to BCP council in 2020. His hopes are that a change of leadership will bring better support for himself and other victims of abuse and neglect in BCP area.

3rd May 2023 - Suicide Prevention

The recent suicide of a student at Aberystwyth univeristy prompted an initial survey of students in Bournemouth and Southampton. Previously, there had been a dispute at a university where an autistic man was banned from accessing peer support meetings on campus after he had visited their Faith and Reflection Centre. Leading to his ban, the man had enquired about wellbeing support for an international student who had disclosed suicidal thoughts. There is a need to complement campus provided wellbeing services with other forms of support off campus and accessible to international students.

Two students from Hong Kong and one from PRC have been asked who they would turn to first if they were experiencing a mental health crisis or having suicidal thoughts. All three said they would go to a friend or family member first. Two (the third was not specifically asked) would be unlikely to access wellbeing services. All three confirmed they were made aware of wellbeing services provided by their respective unis. These are very preliminary findings and there is need to conduct a more thorough survey to establish what form off campus support should take.