Neurodivergent people, local organisations and community partners are invited to join a first-of-its-kind initiative that aims to place neurodivergent people at the heart of local governance.
The Neurodivergent Local Action Group pilot, known as ND LAG, is made possible by the Scottish Borders Local Action Group. The project will explore how neurodivergent people can participate in governance, influence funding priorities, and help shape decisions that better reflect lived experience.
The pilot is being developed in the Scottish Borders and will focus on building a practical, inclusive model with a view to being rolled out nationally.
The project team is keen to hear from a diverse range of neurodivergent adults from across the Borders and welcomes anyone, regardless of diagnosis. No previous experience of committees, funding panels or governance is needed.
The ND LAG pilot has been developed by Rachel Parker, a neurodivergent adult living in the Scottish Borders. The project itself will involve conversations with many stakeholders, including neurodivergent people, local community organisations, public services, employers, funders, and support providers. The project has come about because of Ms Parker’s own experience of navigating funding. She realised very quickly that the training and structures within the landscape were neither inclusive nor accessible and fundamentally led to a vast under-representation of neurodivergent people from the application stage through the decision-making processes.
The pilot will focus on engagement, research, partnership building and training. This will include exploring how meetings can be made more accessible, what practical support participants may need, and how decision-making processes can be designed to work with neurodivergent people.
The project team is now inviting neurodivergent people who may want to take part to get in touch, as well as organisations and individuals who would like to support, advise or connect with the project.
They are particularly keen to hear from:
For more information and to get involved, please go to their website or email [email protected].
