Member Article

ADHD Foundation honoured for leading diversity agenda following win at UK Diversity Awards and nomination for European Diversity Awards

ADHD Foundation is celebrating double awards success after winning the Community Organisation Award for Disability at the National Diversity Awards and being nominated as Charity of the Year at the European Diversity Awards. The foundation has been recognised for its ground-breaking work supporting children, young people and their families living with ADHD. Dr Tony Lloyd, chief executive of ADHD Foundation, collected the UK Diversity Award at a ceremony at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral on Friday evening.

A leading mental health charity, ADHD Foundation is the largest ‘user-led’ ADHD agency in Europe. The accolades have been bestowed on the foundation for its work in promoting scientific evidence, forming dynamic partnerships with the likes of Witherslack Group, Obtech in Sweden, University of Salerno, Italy, and ADHD charities all over the world, and its role in the creation of UK and European impact reports (notably A Lifetime Lost, or A Lifetime Saved, and The Social and Economic Impact of ADHD with think-tank DEMOS), alongside tireless campaigning. It is credited with influencing policy and provision in the UK for those living with ADHD and co-existing conditions, helping to change attitudes, reducing stigma and stereotyping, and, in so doing, improving life chances for those with ADHD.

The National Diversity Awards celebrates the achievements of people who inspire other individuals through their work, their commitment to helping others, their infectious personalities and through adversity. The European Diversity Awards is the continent’s most prestigious and widely respected diversity event, recognising individuals and organisations who have made an outstanding contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion across Europe.

One example of the foundation’s campaigning work is the Umbrella Project - promoting ‘neurodiversity’ involving children with ADHD and autism celebrating their ‘super powers’, talents and employability with a public art project which saw hundreds of brightly coloured umbrellas above the streets of Liverpool and MediaCity, Salford. The foundation also stages the largest annual multi-disciplinary conference on ADHD, attended by over 800 delegates from the UK and Europe, taking place this year place from November 8 to 9 at Titanic Hotel, Liverpool.

Dr Tony Lloyd, chief executive of ADHD Foundation, said:

“We’re honoured to receive the award from the National Diversity Awards and to be nominated for the European Diversity Awards. These accolades reflect the immense work the whole organisation has put in over ten years to make ADHD Foundation the largest user-led service of its kind in Europe. These awards recognise the importance of the achievements of our users, reflected in the work the foundation does to support over 3,000 families across the UK each year and the training we provide to a further 4,000 teachers and healthcare professionals. We hope this success will help bring further attention to our objectives of challenging negative perceptions, bringing about positive change and inclusion within policy and build a positive foundation for life for people living with ADHD.”

Dr Kuben Naidoo, chairman of ADHD Foundation, added:

“Winning the ‘Community Organisation Award for Disability’ has affirmed the ADHD Foundation’s role as a leading charity that has made an outstanding contribution to the local community focusing on those with disabilities. This is an incredible honour and achievement and it is testament to the hard work and dedication of our CEO and staff as well as our patient and carer groups who have supported us since our inception.”

The award comes after Dr Lloyd himself was recently included in the OUTstanding Leading LGBT+ Public Sector Executives List, presented by the Financial Times in recognition of his work to promote workplace equality and drive change in the public sector, and his endless support for the LGBT+ community. Dr Lloyd was also bestowed the honour of National Leadership Club Award for Education by the All Party Parliamentary Group on ADHD at Westminster.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Richards .