The Afro-Caribbean Heritage Society (ACHS) was delighted to bring together members of the community, professionals, facilitators, speakers and individuals with lived experience for our ADHD Insight and Awareness World Café held at Maidenhead Community Centre also their mailing address and meeting Cafe.
The afternoon provided a safe, inclusive and interactive space for people to come together, listen, learn and share experiences around ADHD. Rather than simply presenting information, the World Café encouraged meaningful conversations and allowed participants to explore ADHD from a range of different perspectives.
The room was rich with lived experience, coaching insights, professional medical and clinical information, practical advice and signposting, creating an environment where questions could be asked openly and experiences shared without judgement.
A wealth of perspectives
Our guest speakers and facilitators brought together different areas of knowledge and experience, helping participants to understand that ADHD is not simply about a diagnosis or a set of characteristics. The conversations highlighted the importance of awareness, understanding, appropriate support and recognising the individual experiences of those living with ADHD.
One contributor reflected on the afternoon:
“It was a fabulous day. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone, listening to all the speakers and talking through my own experience.”
Another speaker described their involvement as a genuine pleasure:
“It was my pleasure to be part of such a successful event. Thank you for allowing me to be part of it.”
Perhaps one of the most important reflections was the recognition that there is still much more work to do in creating curiosity and awareness within our communities:
“I hope this can grow in time, as we need more people to be more curious and get the awareness.”
These words beautifully capture the purpose behind the ACHS World Café creating opportunities for people to become curious, ask questions, challenge assumptions and develop a greater understanding of ADHD.
Beyond the conversation
The event also demonstrated the value of bringing together different voices. Lived experience sat alongside professional knowledge, allowing participants to consider ADHD from personal, social, educational, coaching and clinical perspectives.
For ACHS, this is an important part of our wider commitment to community engagement, inclusion and creating spaces where seldom-heard voices can be listened to and valued.
The conversations did not end when the World Café closed. We hope that the knowledge shared, connections made and questions raised will continue to encourage further conversations across families, schools, workplaces, community organisations and wider society.
A heartfelt thank you
ACHS extends its sincere appreciation to all of our guest speakers, facilitators, contributors, supporters and attendees who helped make the afternoon such a positive and engaging experience.
Your time, knowledge, openness and willingness to share helped create a space where people could listen without judgement, learn from one another and feel that their experiences mattered.
The feedback we received reminds us that there is a genuine appetite for these conversations and that awareness begins with being willing to listen, learn and remain curious.
As we look ahead, ACHS hopes to continue developing opportunities that bring communities together, encourage meaningful dialogue and build greater understanding around ADHD and neurodiversity.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the ACHS ADHD World Café an afternoon of insight, connection and shared understanding.
Afro-Caribbean Heritage Society (Thames Valley