Families, supporters, and professionals came together at the RSPB Sandwell Valley Nature Reserve to celebrate a major milestone for Family Action’s Helping Hands service – securing a second round of three-year funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.
The sunny celebration brought together over 40 attendees, including families supported by the service, volunteers with lived experience, local professionals, and representatives from Family Action. The event featured a presentation, creative activities, and work-shops showcasing the work of Helping Hands which provides crucial support to families of children diagnosed with, or on a pathway to diagnosis for, autism and ADHD.
Helping Hands offers a range of services for parents and children including, monthly drop-in sessions, and school-based emotional well-being programmes. Thanks to the renewed funding, the project will now expand to deliver “This Is Me” (TIM) workshops, a new strand focused on strength-based approaches and peer learning.
Sam Edwards, Family Action Service Manager, said:
It was such a special day – a chance to celebrate not just the funding, but the strength of the families we work with and the amazing volunteers who share their lived experience. The new funding will allow us to reach even more families in Sandwell and continue developing supportive, inclusive spaces that make a real difference.
Attendees were able to explore the tools and resources Helping Hands offers – from emotion cards and affirmation playdough to sensory books and visual aids – all designed to empower parents and carers to better understand and support their children.
For more information on Helping Hands or to access support, visit: Helping Hands – Autism & ADHD Behaviour Support.
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