WESTYORKSHIRE ADHD SUPPORT GROUP ADHD TRUSTEES'ANNUAL REPORT For the period 1 September 2024- 31 August 2025 Structuro Governance and Mana omonl Governing Document The charity is a Charitable Incorporated OrganisatK)n (CIO) governed by its Constitution. Charlty Name During the reporting period, the charity operated as Wesi Yorkshire ADHD Support Group (￿AoHD). Following the year end, in September 2025, the charity formally rebranded to Stripes - The West yorkshi￿ ADHD Charity. Truslees conS￿ered the new name and identity to better reflect the breadth of services delivered, the charity's continued growlh across West Yorkshire, and its commitment lo supporting neurodivergent individuals arKI families. Tru•tsg R•crullment and Appolntrn•nt Trustees are elected by the board and are selected to ensure an appropriate mix of professional skills. lived experience, backgrounds and expértise to support effective governance of the charity. Trustees represent a diverse range of neurotypes, ages, genders and professional backgrounds. Governance and Management Trustees meet regularty throughout Ihe year to oversee the strategic direction, financial management and operational delivery of the charjty. The charrty maintains robust govemance arrangements including: Annual reviow of safeguarding policies and procedures Regular risk assessment and monitoring of operational nsks Trustee induction and ongoing safeguarding and govemance training Clear accountability and reporting aThangements for staff and volunteers Safer recruitment practices and DBS procedures. where appropriate Management of conflicts of interest through a Trustee Code of Conduct During the year Trustees focused on.. Responding to increasing demand for ADHD-related suppjrt Strengthening organisational sustainability and resilience Expanding partnerships with schools. local authorities arKI healthcare providers Increasing commissioned work and developing sustainable income streams Strengthening impact monitoring and quality assuran The Trustees regularly reviewed organisational risks, includiThJ service demand, financial sustsinability. staffing capa¢ty and safeguarding matter8. ctlves and Activitle8 Charlty ObieGtlve• The charity's objectives are the relief and support of individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). and associated conditions, and their f8miSies, carers or supporters through.. a) Increasing awareness and understanding of ADHD and associated conditions., b) The provision of indoor and outdoor activities.. and cl The provision of support. infomiation and advocacy for individuals and familles affected by ADHD and associated conditions. Our Mission To empower and support neuTodivergent indFviduals and their families across West Yorkshire, building an inclusive community where everyone can thrive. Main Actlvltle8 Dellvered Durlng th• Yoar During the reporting period, the charity delivered a wide range of practical, emotional and advocacy-based support to neurodivergent individuals and families across West Yorkshire. Demand for services remained high throughout the year due to increasing awareness of ADHD, long waiting times for assessment and trealment, and growing complexity of educational arKI emotional wellbeing needs. Peer Support The charity delivered regular peer support groups across West Yorkshire alongside online support through digttal plarforms and social media. Peer support groups provided safe, understanding spaces for adults wrth ADHD, parents and carers to access advice, reduce isolation and Gonnect with others with shared experiences. Services included.. Face-to-face peer support meebngs across West Yorkshire Online Community support Signposting and informal guidance Practical emotional support for adutts, parents and carers Peer Su Ort 8e88lon8 delivered P•0 le8U orted throu er8U Online communi reach 66 This figur8 reflects tot818ttend8nce across all sessions. Many individuals attended more than once. ' This reflects the size of our online peer support communty at the time of reporting. The group g￿ w significantly during the Trporting peiiod and ￿Mained 8n active space for peer support. adviGe and shared experiences. Childrèn and Family Activitl•s The charity continued to deliver inclusrve play sessions and holiday activities for children with ADHD and associated needs. Actlvltles were designed to provide opportunities for children to develop Gonfidence, friendships and emotional wellbeing in safe, understanding env•ronm8nts where they could be themselves without judgemenl. This included: Weekly play sessions Weekend and holiday activities Funded places to support accessibilty for families experiencing hardship Children's weekend and holida a¢tiviti•S delivèred Children attendin weekend and holida activitios 21 This figur8 ￿lleCtS tot818tlendance across all activities. Some children attended multiple SeS￿ons. Pla sessions delivered Total attendance at la 49 1,209" sessions Thls flgure reflects tot818ttendance a¢mss sessions and includes both children an accompanying paren￿ear61S. M8ny faMil￿S attended regulatly. We also partnered with Circus Starr to provide free. inclusive clrcus tickets for families. offering additional opportunlties for accessibte community experiences. 209 Clrcus Stsrr tlckets dl8trlbut•d acro¥¥ 4 rformanc•8 Teon Support The charity continued to deliver specialist support for teenagers focused on confidence, emotional wellbeing, independeneE and life skills. This included weekly teen sessions and opportunities for social connection in environments supportive of neurodivergent young people, T••n sa8sion8 dellvered 49 While 8ttendanGe figures were not fomialty recorded, sessions We￿ well attended and pmvided consistent opportunities for young peop18 to build confidenc8, d8V81op friendships and 8ccess peer support in a safe and und&￿tandIng envimnment. Wakefield Community Base During the year, the charity secured a permanent base in Wakefield, strengthening its ability to deliver consistent support across ￿st Yorkshire. The Wakefield base enabled the charity to deliver: Weekly play sessions Teen support sessions One-to-one family support Training and y￿rkShOpS A stable and accessible location for families requiring ongoing support Trustees consider this development an important slep in strengthening long-term sustainability and service accessibilty. Educational Advocacy and SEND Support The charity continued to support families navigating complex educational systems and SEND processes. Support included: Education, Health and ca￿ Plan (EHCP) applications School advocacy and attendance at meetings Mediation and SEND tribunal support Advice regarding educational rights and reasonable adjustments This support enabled families to better advocate for thelr chlldren and secure appropriate educational provision. EHCP 8upp.ort C48•8 durln •ar 126 B•noflts and Wolfar• Support The charity supported families with Disability Living Allowan￿ (DLA) and Personal Independence Payrnent IPIP) applications, appeals and related welfare support. This work helped reduce financial hardship and improve family stability. DLA su PIP su ort casès durin ort case8 durtn th• the 94 oar Parent and Carer Support Recognising thè signrficant pressures experienced by parents and carers of neurodivergent children, the charity deltvered a range of specialist support opportunilies. This included.. Parenting programmes Emotional wellbeing support Peer support opportunities 'Me Time, wellbeing activities for parents and carers Parenting programmo8 (Jelivered included.. STOP Programm• 1 course delivered (10 weeks) 14 parents supported Parent stress reduced from 7.5 to 6.1 (out of 10) Ability to cope increased from 5.5 to 7.1 5-10 Programme 1 course delivered (8 weeks) 17 parents supported Parental stress reduced from 7.4 10 4.2 Family 8tre8s reduced from 7.8 to 4.9 De-E8calatlon Tralnlng 5 one-day sessions delivered 59 parents supported Average feedback score of 5.3 out of 6. refiecting high levels of parent satisfaction and perceived usefulness. R•8pits Support The charity provided a range of respite opportunities to support the wellbeing of parents and carers, recognising the signfficani pressures that they experience, This included both short breaks through 'Me Time, sessions and opportunities fof overni9ht respite through our partnership with Carefree. M• Time sessions delivered ParenUcarnr8 attondin 'Me fime. Sessions 14 Attendance refiects total participation, with some individuals attending multiple sessions. Average seM-r8POrted st￿sS levels reduced from 8.2 to 3.2 (out of 70) between Ihe start and end of sessions. Car•fr•• ros its br•aks su 33 These b￿akS provided pa￿nIS and carers with opportunities for rest and recovery through ovemight stays aw8y from their c8ring rnsponsibilities. Commisgion•d Training and Awar•nM• Work The charity continued to increase awareness and understanding of ADHD through commissioned training and partnership Wofking. During the year. the charity delivered commissioned parenting programmes in partnership with Focus for Hope. delivering four 4-week ,￿miat I IAfjsh l Kr￿W Earlier, ourses to support parents and carers to better understand ADHD. The charity also secured commissioned work as part of the Partnerships for Inclusbon of Neurodiversty in Schools (PINS) project. This included.. Kirkleos Delivery ofADHD training to 13 Schools, equipping staff with increased understanding of ADHD, practical strategies and greater confidence supporting néurodivergent pupils. Calderdal• Delivery of 15 school-based coffee momings supporting parents and carers to better understand ADHD. re¢Juce isolaiion and access eafly support. In addition, the charity delivered further ADHD awareness sessions to schools and other organlsations. Induding a children's home, B8mardo's, speech and language therapists and Ihe North Halifax Partnership. Training sessions delivernd Schoolslor anlsations roached 10 16 Public Beneflt The Trustees confirm that they have complEd with their duty under section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to the Charity Commission's gUKlan￿ on public benefrt. The charity's serVi￿S benefit the public through education. advocacy, emotional support, wellbeing activities, practical guidance and community connection for neurodNergent individuals and families. Achievémonts and P•rformanc Summary of Maln A¢hlev•m•nts Durlng the Y•ar The Trustees are pleased to report another year of growth, development and impact for the charty. Demand for support continued to rise throughout the year, reflecting increasing awareness of ADHD, lengthy waiting times for assessment and treatment, and increasing challenges experienced by families navigating education, SEND systems and mental health pressures. Headllng Impact Durlng the year the charlty support•d approxirnatgly 1,000 individual8 and famlli88 4cro88 W•st Yorkshlr•. This figure refiects engagement aCn￿S 811 sern'ces. Many indiwduals accessed multiple activities or ongoing support and may therefore be counted more than once. ,. Peer 8U￿.p.Ort attgnde•8 Social media communi reach EHCPISEND •u ort Gase• DLA su ort easas PIP SU ort cases Children attendin weekend and holida , Total attondance at la ￿8#101 T6•n Sossion8 delivered Multi4088lon arèntin ro ramme8 delivered Training sessions dellvered (Including commissioned trainin and renucarer tralnin ParentslGarer8 SUPPOrted through programmos and trainin Me Tlmo attsndefts 550 126 94 88 376 activities 49 28 90 94 Carefree ras It• breaks su Circus Slarr tlckets dlstrlbuted 33 209 Key Achievements Key achievements during the year included: Securing a pemanent operational base in V*akefield Expansion of Commissioned Y￿rk through the PINS project in Kirklees and Calderdale Continued development of parenting and wellbeing support programmes Increased reach across West Yorkshire Ihrough peer support and training activity Strengthened partnerships with schools. NHS partners, MPS and local authorilles Impact on Famill The charity continues to demonstrate meaningful outcomes for neurodivergent individuals and families including.. Reduced isolation and improved community connection Increased parentsl Confidence and understarKling of ADHD Better educational outcomes and advocacy Support Improved emotional wellbeing and resilience Increased access to flnanclal support through welfate advocacy Safer and more inclusive experiences for neurodiver9ent children and young people Case Study Example Ayoung person began attending our Saturday youth sessions feeling anxious, isolated and lacking Confidence to engage with others. Initially, she would only attend with support from others and found it difficult to express her authentic self. Through consistent attendance ar¥J support from staff, she was supported to navigate a range of challenges, induding completing a successful Personal IndepÈridence Payment {PlP) application and leaving an unhealthy relationship. Staff provided non- iudgemental guidance and practical support at key points, helping her to feel safe and able to make decisions about her own Itfe. Over time, we saw significant improvements in her Confiden￿ and independence. She began attending sessions on own, developed a strong friendship group, and report&￿ feeling able to be herself without masking She described the importance of being in a space where others urKlerstood her, ststing that she felt she would have remained in a harmful situation wrthout the support she received. This young person is now attending college, has developed clear goals and aspirations for her future. and continues io engage positsvely with the support available. She Is also exploring opportunities to volunteer within the charity's play sessions, supporting younger children. She Is now a COnf￿ent and regular attendee, wrth a strong support network and increased abilty to manage the challenges she faces as she transitions into adulthood. Chall•ng•• Durlng th• Y•ar The Gharity Gontinued to operate wrthin a challenging environment including: Increasing demand for seNices Long waiting limes forADHD assessment and treatment In¢ffja$ing complexity of family needs Financial pressures across the voluntary sector Trustees continued to monitor these risks carefully while prioritising quallty, sustainability and safeguarding. Voluntser8 and Staff The Trustees would like to fonnalty recognise the dedication and commitment of staff and volunteers whose contribution enables Ihe charity lo deliver vital support across West Yorkshire. During the year the organisation consisted of.. Staff team: 8 (all part time) Voluntoors: 23 Trustoo¥: 7 Financial Roview Reserves Policy The charity aims to mainlain reserves equivalent to approximately six months of operating expenditure in order to ensure continuity of service delivery and organisational resilien￿. Trustees regularly review reserve ￿velS in I￿ht of increasing seniice demand and wider economic pressures. Financial Position The Trustees consider the financial positi'on of the charity at the end of the reporting period to be improving. Total income for the year amounted to £187,866 and expendrture totalled £156,926, resulting in a surplus of £30,940 Prlnclpal Fundlng Sources The charity continues to secure a diverse range of funding to support both core delivery and targeted projects across West Yorkshire. Funding during the year included.. National Lottery Communty Fund Postcode Lottery Grants from charitable trusts and foundations including Community Foundation for Calderdale, Bramall Trust and Sir George Martin Trust Local grants and partnerships, including Prosper Wakefield, One Community, Forum Central and the Mayor's Safer Comrnunrties Fund Commissioned work and training income Donations and fundraising activities Use of Funds Expenditure directly supported the charrty's objectives through.. Direct support for families and individuals affected byADHD SEND advocacy and v￿lfare support Parenting and wellbeing programmes Peer support activities Children and young people's sessions Training and awareness activty Safeguarding and workforce development Funds In Deficlt None Future Plan3 During the coming year the Trustees aim to: Continua responding to increasing demand for ADHD-related support Further develop the Wakefield base as a community hub for n?urodivergent families Establish and develop an additional delivery base in Cabjerdale (secured following the year end) to increase accessibility of services across West Yorkshire Expand commissioned partnerships with schools, NHS and local authorities Develop and strengthen partnerships with c(xnrnunity organisations to increase aC￿SS to free and low