Faith, 15 from Derbyshire is the Competitions and Programme Secretary for Ashbourne YFC. After taking part in diversity training, Faith is keen to ensure all YFCs are for making everyone feel welcome.
A. I never realised how much training you had to organise in order to do well at the Competitions. So I now ensure everyone has the opportunity for bespoke training sessions before the Competitions so they have a rough idea of what their doing before they compete.
A. It was easier to see where there might be gaps when we put the training into real-life YFC situations. All the people who did the training felt their clubs were welcoming but realised there may be a lack of knowledge when it comes to supporting members with a neurological difference.
While a lot of members are aware of conditions such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia, there can be a gap in knowledge on how to support neurodivergent people in a club setting.
A. We recently held our public speaking competitions and had no idea one of our members was dyslexic until we got to the county round and the person admitted they couldn’t read the paper. I knew about different colour paper but had no idea what measures to put in place to support this member. I also realised this person must have not felt confident telling us earlier in the process about their dyslexia.
I have also had experiences where a member has felt overwhelmed in a meeting and needed a parent to remain with them to support them during these times.
A. I want to make it easier for neurodivergent people to feel included in YFC and find ways we can support them more.
I am creating a road show for our county that will share more information about neurodiversity. These roadshows will be aimed at building confidence as well as removing stereotypes and any stigma associated with being neurodivergent.
It can be scary for some people as they’re used to being treated differently when others find out they are neurodivergent. My hope is that after the roadshow and the training, everyone will feel more comfortable to share more about themselves and know they will be supported.
If the road show is successful we will hopefully be able to share the idea with other county federations.
A. We have a new members' night at the start of every year where we have lots of icebreakers and team building activities to help create friendships. But we also encourage our existing members to talk to newer members and make them feel more welcome.
A. We try and plan meetings to accommodate all of our members, which can prove quite difficult at times because whilst we don’t have many openly neurodivergent members our club is made up of a variety of ages and interests so we often try and consider activities that are enjoyable for everyone.
Introduce a designated person who understands the needs of neurodivergent members and can respond quickly during meetings when people need extra support.
Use NFYFC’s Additional Needs guide to work with members on an individual support plan. Everyone is different so talking to them and those closest to them will help you come up with a way to ensure they feel part of the club too.
Find out more information about YFC is For Everyone.
