News

For the past 35 years I have worked with children and young people, many with “challenging” behaviour. I remember certain characters that would burst through the youth club doors and thinking “oh no, her we go!”. I also have diaries of the years I managed Leslie House, a homeless hostelin Dorking and have enough material to write a TV series one day!

It was in the early nineties that Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) became more widely understood. During those years, when John and I ran a foster home at Westcott, I learnt firsthand the difficulties of living with complex and impulsive individuals.

In 2001 I founded the first Studio ADHD Centre in Dorking and then in 2004 we moved to Capel and replaced Ken Newel’s greenhouse with the Studio building. Since that time we have been inundated with requests for help and have to limit beneficiaries to those in Surrey, although we believe the Studio is unique in its style in the UK.

As a Charity we have been dependent on the local authority for grants from education and youth services to fund the salaries of key staff posts. However due to cuts to all services, Surrey County Council no longer funds us and previous grants for salaries have ended. It is now an exceptionally competitive to secure funds from the lottery and Children in Need, etc, which is why we have had to launch a local appeal, both in the press and on our website, to raise £50K to ensure The Studio can stay open.

We appreciate the regular donations and support from the John Ede Trust, the Capel’s Mens’s Group, The Music Festival and other donors and hope that we can encourage further support from those who understand the value of The Studio as a local charity.

Nancy Williams – The Studio ADHD Centre – 184 The Street, Capel, RH5 5EN