CHARITY MARKS DECADE OF SUPPORT WITH STORMONT DISCUSSION ON ADHD WAITING LISTS
BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND — For ten years, A Safe Space To Be Me has been supporting people affected by ADHD across Northern Ireland. Now, as it marks its tenth anniversary, the charity is bringing the conversation about non-existent waiting lists and access to support straight to Stormont.
The organisation will mark the milestone with a reception at Parliament Buildings on Monday 15th June, bringing together MLAs, healthcare professionals, and community organisations to discuss the growing challenges facing people waiting for ADHD assessments and support.
The event, sponsored by Mr John Blair MLA, will focus on the reality facing many children, adults, and families who are left waiting months or years for help, and the role community & voluntary sector organisations are increasingly playing in supporting people during that time.
Founded in March 2016, A Safe Space To Be Me began as a small community organisation based in Antrim with a simple aim: to provide support for people who were struggling to find it elsewhere. Once Senior Director Carolyn Tailford BEM and her family moved home to Crumlin, it became clear just how limited local support services were for many people. What started as a grassroots project has since grown into a charity supporting people across Northern Ireland.
Since acquiring the premises for the Crumlin Community Hub in August 2019, the organisation has continued to expand its services. Over the past decade, it has delivered almost 13,000 free counselling sessions and supported more than 2,500 people through a range of mental health and well-being services.
As demand for ADHD assessments and support continues to rise, the charity says more people are turning to their community organisation for help while they wait for statutory services.
The reception will give those involved in healthcare, policy, and community support an opportunity to hear directly about the impact long waiting times are having on people's lives and to discuss how earlier intervention and better support can be provided.
Carolyn Tailford BEM, Senior Director of A Safe Space To Be Me, said:
"When we started ten years ago, we simply wanted to create a place where people felt seen, heard, and supported.
"Since then, we have worked with thousands of people and seen firsthand the impact that long waits for assessment and support can have on individuals and families.
"We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved over the last decade, but we know there is still much more to do. Community organisations like ours are helping people through some of the most difficult periods of their lives, often while they are waiting for statutory services.
"This event is an opportunity to bring together people from across healthcare, government, and the community sector to talk honestly about those challenges and what more can be done to support people earlier."
While the event marks an important milestone for the charity, organisers say its focus is firmly on the future and on ensuring that people do not have to face long waits without support.