Who we are

Welcome to the website of SPACE Chesham & South Bucks

SPACE is a voluntary support group for parents, grandparents, and carers of children on the Autistic Spectrum, with ADHD, or challenging behaviour. It is intended as a group where advice, support and information can be made available, thus helping both the children and the families to find a way forward and improve the quality of their lives.

In 2005, Alison Nixon, who was a Health Visitor and member of The King’s Church Chesham, noticed a need in the area to provide help and support for parents of children with ADHD/Autism/Challenging Behaviour.  Together with Margaret Shepherd, who herself had two boys with ADHD, and Sue Gorst who was the wife of the then Minister of The King’s Church and also has Autism in the family, started SPACE Support.  One of those original members was Carol Wade, who today is our Treasurer, but the other original members have since moved on and others, like Linda Carroll our current Leader, have stepped up and taken the group to the next stage.

At our monthly SPACE meetings we have some amazing speakers, often on the Spectrum themselves, explaining how they felt different to others during childhood, and were unable to make friends, then explaining the strategies they have learnt to use and showing how they are able to lead happy and fulfilling lives.  We also have speakers from various Local Government Agencies, including the Police, Carers Bucks, Bucks Family Information Service, etc.

SPACE offers all kinds of pointers to agencies and facilities which deal with the range of conditions experienced in our children, and friendship is offered to parents when they need it most.

Can YOU identify the signs of Autism and ADHD in a child?  There are many traits, as each child is different, but these are the ones I most often notice: Eye contact avoidance; spinning, or fixating on a subject; avoidance of physical contact; challenging behaviour; a lack of social skills and a need for routine; also sensory issues of touch, taste and feel, and a ‘short fuse’, often caused by anxiety.

We also have a Facebook group at ‘SPACE Chesham & South Bucks’, and a WhatsApp group that you can request to join.

Details of our monthly Support Group Meetings are on this site under ‘Meetings‘, or for more information, email us at spacechesham@aol.com

We look forward to meeting you.  Come and join us – Become a member

Linda Carroll (Leader) and the Volunteer Team

 

We are committed to Safeguarding and Disclosure & Barring Service practices in all that we do.