Tackling ADHD Tax:a North East Debut and Edinburgh Returns
This month ADHDAF+ Charity continues to turn festival fields leopard print to raise ADHD awareness and signpost to our THIRTEEN free in-person ADHD Peer Support Groups in September; connecting and empowering ADHD adults of marginalised genders - discussing the topic of ADHD Tax.
The above was taken at the 10th anniversary of Camp VC in Wales. You can listen to festival goers and Lu in Lu Land share their experiences of ADHD on ADHD AF on your chosen podcast platform or you can watch the video on Spotify HERE.
Alongside September’s ADHD Groups information, there’s many an August Glimmer to share; and check out these stats!…
Measuring the impact of our ADHD Support Groups to date; as informed by feeback from 306 Group attendees since launching in March ‘25.
Hi I’m Laura, Founder and CEO of ADHDAF+ Charity, ADHD AF Podcast Host and Columnist for ADHD Magazine (as pictured)
I was diagnosed with severe combined type ADHD aged 38 in January 2022; which not only improved my quality of life; it saved my life… and I’ve been on a mission to help others like me ever since.
My Podcast ADHD As Females (ADHD AF) united a ‘Leopard Print Army’ of listeners, which led to an online community and three UK Tours.
The ADHD AF Podcast Community and Live Events both inspired the creation of - and continue to inform the work of this Charity…
ADHDAF+ is about us, by us, for us.
ADHD Magazine
The first edition of ADHD Magazine, by Anthem Publishing in February this year, made a major splash with its launch! Guest-edited by Professor James Brown, founder of the ADHDAdultUK charity and co-host of The ADHD Adults Podcast.
The Mag is not just as a typical clinical overview, but as an accessible, community-driven "bookazine" designed for adults navigating diagnosis, people managing ADHD, and friends or family seeking to understand the condition better.
The second edition has just hit the shelves of UK Supermarkets, High Street and Travel Newsagents, and is available to order online HERE
Building on the success of Issue 1, the latest edition brings you more evidence-backed strategies and real lived experiences in an easy, accessible format.
I’m also returning with my column, The Shame Drop, bringing a lighthearted and empathetic look at the everyday chaos ADHD can cause.
Inspired by the infamous question from my Podcast: ‘What is the Most ADHD Thing you’ve done this week?’ Which has become the ice-breaker for all of our ADHD Peer Support Groups.
We are extremely grateful to ADHD Magazine for donating 10p of every copy sold to four ADHD Charities: ADHDadultUK, ADHD Liberty, Matthew Lock ADHD Charity and ADHDAF+ to help us fund our Free ADHD adult Support Groups.
Thank you so much and congratulations to all involved in publishing another fantastic issue!
August ADHD
Group GLIMMERS
I also want to say an enormous THANK YOU to all of our Volunteer Group Facilitators and our tiny Team working very hard behind the scenes - some of whom are pictured here at our last monthly Facilitators meeting.
Everyone’s hard work is working…
On 06.08.26 we hosted 4 groups: Bristol, Chester, Hemel Hempstead and London at which 43 ADHD adults in one night leant on and learnt from each other on the topic of ADHD Time Blindness!
We had an absolutely enormous turn out for our Swindon ADHD Peer Support Group…
Though not all our photographed; Our August ADHD Swindon group had 21 attendees! It is wonderful to watch this popular group grow thanks to the hard work of Volunteer Facilitator Jen!
It’s also currently our only ADHD Group with a Sponsor, Thank you to Unshrunk Wellness for funding our free Swindon ADHD Group.
“ADHDAF+ Charity has connected 106 ADHD adults at our free Peer Support Groups in 11 different locations in Scotland and England this month!”
August groups began with our Ayr Group on Scotland’s SW coast.
Next up was our Birmingham ADHD Group.
SO moved by this review - THANK YOU so much Lizee!
Come along to our next Birmingham ADHD Support Group: 7-9pm
on Tuesday 1st September at Stryx JQ, 90 Vyse St, B18 6JZ.
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Birmingham Support Group reminder emails HERE
Thank you again to Jen for this fantastic Swindon ADHD Group!
Join Jen’s next Swindon ADHD Group: 7-9pm on Tuesday 1st September at Little Grazey, 114 Victoria Rd, SN1 3BH
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Swindon Support Group reminder emails HERE
Thank you Donnie for a great Cambridge ADHD Support Group!
Come along to the next at Unity Centre, (Blossom Room)
Pathfinder Way, Northstowe, CB24 1FD
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Cambridge Support Group reminder emails HERE
Thank you Gemma for a fantastic Runcorn ADHD Support Group!
Join Gemma 6:30-8:30pm on Wednesday 5th August at Murdishaw Community Centre, Barnfield Ave, Murdishaw,
WA7 6JW
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Runcorn Support Group reminder emails HERE
Thank you Eve for a great Hemel Hempstead ADHD Support Group!
Join Eve at her next session: Thursday 3rd September, 7-9pm at St Johns Hall,
Station Road, HP1 1JY
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Hemel Hempstead Support Group reminder emails HERE.
Thank you Tina for a fantastic Chester ADHD Group!
Come along to Tina’s next ADHD Chester Group at 6.30-8.30pm on
Thursday 3rd September at Rainbow Tearooms, 28 Bridge St, Chester CH1 1NQ
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Chester Support Group reminder emails HERE
Thank you Gill for another awesome Manchester session following the BBC North West Tonight feature of her Manchester ADHD Group!
You can join Gill on Wednesday 9th September 7-9m at Friends’ Meeting House, 6 Mount St, M2 5NS
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Manchester Support Group reminder emails HERE.
Thank you Paula for a brillliant Blackpool ADHD Group!
Come along to Paula’s next session on Thursday 10th Septmber 7-9m at Aunty Social, 28 Topping St, FY1 3AQ
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Blackpool Support Group reminder emails HERE
Our Oxford ADHD Group is temporarily paused. We look forward to it returning ASAP. You can sign up for email reminders to be the first to hear when it’s back….
Get email reminders for either or any of our groups HERE
September ADHD Support Groups
You can find out full details and sign up for email reminders HERE
We’re in the
North East at last!
We are absolutely delighted to be hosting our first - of several upcoming groups - in the North East in September! I’ve done 2 live shows and have a lot of ADHD AF Podcast listeners in that wonderful part of the world - I’m so grateful that one such listener has volunteered to facilitate a Northumberland ADHD Support Group!
Fiona discovered her neurodivergence whilst suffering from a period of ADHD Burnout. Crediting the podcast for helping her navigate this new chapter - she wants to extend that ADHD support to others like her, in her local community of Amble.
Fiona’s hosting her Amble ADHD Group at her very own shop: Bridge Street Books; at which he intersectional feminist champions female authors as well as shining a spotlight on local writers who may be just starting out at her gorgeous shop.
Welcome and THANK YOU SO MUCH Fiona, we are so excited to have you on board!
If you’re nearby, join Fiona at her first ADHD Northumberland group:
Wednesday 9th September, 6:30-8:30pm at Bridge Street Books, 4a Bridge Street, Amble, Northumberland, NE65 0DR.
You can sign up for Amble ADHD Group reminders HERE
Our Edinburgh ADHD Group is back!
We’ve had to pause our Edinburgh ADHD Support Group the past 2 months, as the venue was in use for Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
We are so happy to have Maz and Vanessa’s amazing group return to offer ADHD Support in Edinburgh!
Welcome back LEGENDS!
You can join them on Thursday 10th September, 7-9pm at Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL
Sign up for ADHDAF+ ADHD Edinburgh Support Group reminder emails HERE
And that takes us up to 14 free in-person ADHD Peer Support Groups in September….
“But what is the format of ADHDAF+ Groups? Who can attend?
How do we choose locations?
AND... What’s with all the leopard print?!
Your questions, answered on our FAQ page”
You can find out all of the above and more HERE
ADHD Tax
Forgetfulness, impulsivity, and difficulties with organisation and object impermenance can lead us to miss deadlines, incurring late fees, or causing costs that could have been avoided with better planning.
Alongside financial stress and struggles, ADHD can cost us emotionally and impact our relationships.
Essentially, ADHD ‘Tax’ is the ‘price’ paid for the cognitive challenges that are commonly experienced by people with ADHD.
If you are struggling with any of the above YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You can reach out for support HERE.
If you have or think you might have ADHD, and you’re over 18,
you are invited to connect with other ADHD adults of marginalised genders in your local ADHDAF+ Group to dicuss this topic…
Which I will be discussing in a brand new episode of ADHD AF with a very special guest who is hosting an amazing workshop on this very topic at our first Live Event: ADHD Easy Target in Wakefield.
I’m so excited to be joined by a fellow Self Love Revolutionary:
Wealth Coach, Sarah Jane Maxwell - who has spent the last 25 years in financial services; and believes that everyone should have access to and an understanding of their finances.
I can’t wait to share this crucial conversation on ADHD Tax with Sarah later this month on ADHD AF. You can Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or tap HERE to open directly in your preferred podcast app. Turn on notifications in the app so new episodes download automatically!
More BIG NEWS about our first Live Event…
Blossom Training and Development CIC are offering 3 sessions at our Wakefield Event!
We are so excited to have these local legends share their unique Self Defense Skills at the Pilot of our empowering ADHD Event: ADHD Easy Target!
These optional sessions are adaptive and accessible for all fitness levels and abilities - techniques will be adapted to your individual range of motion, comfort, and physical needs.
Blossom UK training is legally robust; focused on providing a strong understanding of the legal framework that supports the use of force.
Scenario-based; from non-vocal defensive stances to the use of voice as
a deterrent and only as a last resort will physical techniques be introduced
Built from personal experience, and a desire to influence change and promote positives outcomes through effective education and training.
This ADHDAF+ Charity (sold out) event is brought to you in collaboration with the National Trust and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
If you missed out on tickets, there’s a waitlist on Eventbrite HERE and there will be more next year - you can sign up to find out next years locations and get first dibs on 2027 tickets HERE
THANK YOU to Madeleine France and all at Blossom Training CIC - we can’t wait to have you there!
(Full Event line up coming VERY SOON)
An email will be sent to all attendees ahead of the event outlining how the day will run and what you need to bring very soon. If you have a ticket and can no longer make it, please return it on Eventbrite so that someone else can benefit.
ROAR with us…
ROAR is a page dedicated to our fiercely fun Fundraising
Our ADHD adult support groups are FREE and low cost to run; but they’re needed nationwide!
We would LOVE you to help us start more by joining a fundraiser…
We currently have two upcoming fundraisers which we would be so grateful if you could join in/donate/share….
In it’s fourth year, The Big ADHD Fundraiser is raising funds for ADHDAF+ and ADHDadultUK Charities and inviting everyone along for the ride…
Rather than the one-off cycling event of previous years, you’re invited to start your own fundraiser as part of our team… throughout the month of October, ADHD Awareness Month.
We’ve got Cyclists, Skydivers, Swimmers, Artists and more taking part already! All of us at both charities would be so grateful if you could DONATE, SHARE and even JOIN IN this years VERY Big ADHD Fundraiser.
Full Details HERE
You can listen to a very special episode of ADHD AF Podcast about it on all podcast platforms, or watch the video on Spotify HERE
So what’s your passion?
Knitting, Rollerskating, Reading, Running…. why not join our team to turn what your love into a fundraiser to support our two charities offering much needed support to our community this ADHD Awareness Month!
Our second fabulous fundraiser is…
ADHDAF Day ‘26
Friday 23rd Oct ‘26 is the FIFTH annual #ADHDAFDay
Dust off your fiercest threads, because the
Leopard Print Army is officially assembling on socials for the 5th year running in ADHD Awareness Month!
This global social media movement continues to turn timelines completely wild to showcase and unite the ADHD Community.
Taking part is simple: Wear at least one leopard print item on Friday 23rd Oct, snap a photo or video of you wearing it (or if you’re camera shy - just some leopard print) and share it on Instagram with the hashtag: #ADHDAFDay (tagging @adhdafpodcast and @adhdafplus), and please donate to our ADHDAF fundraiser page (launching soon)
Last year's event raised over £900, which went straight into funding ADHDAF+ charity's free, in-person ADHD peer support groups - crucial spaces that connect and empower ADHD adults of marginalised genders.
This year, we want to smash that target, and paint every corner of the internet with ADHD AF’s symbolic print… and we need you to get everyone on board!
Please get your loved ones and friends on board, or even enlist your whole workplace. Last year, we had an entire school alumni show up to work head-to-toe in leopard print, and we would love to see even more group takeovers this time around.
Whether you are wearing a pair of leopard print socks, a hair band, or going full-body feline, every post and every pound helps turn up the volume on ADHD awareness, connect community and signpost/fund crucial ADHD support.
But why do we wear leopard print? Find out on our FAQs Page
We are the Leopard Print Army
…HEAR US ROAR!
Or, if you are able, please DONATE directly to help us start more free ADHD Groups HERE. The average cost per attendee is just £3, and per group is just £65. No donation is too small and all are very much appreciate - you could even Sponsor your local ADHD Group HERE.
Please know that if you are struggling
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Please reach out for help via our
list of resources HERE.
Thanks so much for reading
and for all of your support!
Laura x
