Positive Path Foundation - Friendships for adults with both learning difficulties and physical challenges

Friendship and Socialising
for adults with learning and physical challenges

Positive Path Foundation is a UK registered charity. Our primary mission is to nurture friendship, social skills, independence and work opportunities for high-functioning individuals with both learning difficulties and physical challenges.

We also offer therapy, mentoring, sibling support, play therapy and time-out respite to assist the entire family living with special needs. Advice, guidance and advocacy is available to help our families locate and secure the appropriate practical and financial support to which they are entitled.

Positive Path Foundation operates in the area between Eastleigh in Hampshire and Poole in Dorset.

Why is Positive Path Foundation different?

Our focus is on high-functioning individuals with learning/physical difficulties who are frequently overlooked by the system. Provision for profound disability is widely available, but we know there is a lack of adequate provision serving the real needs of high functioning children and young adults, with ASD in particular, and their families.

Individuals with high-functioning ASD and learning disabilities may appear able on the surface, but they often learn to mask their challenges. This hidden disability is why our members slip through the system: they struggle with social interaction, making/maintaining friendships, low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression which can spiral into chronic mental health issues.

We are so proud to receive testimonials from members and their parents telling us we have changed their lives. Providing regular opportunities to socialise, make friends and gain essential life skills in a non-judgemental and safe environment has brought about lasting improvements in mental health for many of our members.

No-one with additional needs should miss out on what we have to offer due to economic disadvantage so, in cases of genuine hardship, we can waive our membership fees. We can also provide reduced cost therapy and advice for low-income families and parents who work for the NHS.

We are most grateful to receive ongoing support in various forms from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Community Foundation; most recently an award of £7,037 from the GVC fund aimed specifically at supporting our work in tackling the social isolation and mental health issues that many of our members experience.

We are also delighted to have recently received an award of £5,000 from Dorset Community Foundation GVC Fund to help us provide more local events, activities and workshops for Positive Path members in the Dorset area.

We thank The National Lottery Community Fund for an award of £10,000, received as an Awards for All grant at the end of 2022. This will support the cost of staff we need to deliver our exciting and varied program of events, activities and workshops planned for 2023.

To all three of the above funding bodies, on behalf of the disadvantaged children, young people and adults who are our members and the families that care for them, we offer our sincere thanks for these valuable resources to allow us to continue and develop our work and partnerships in 2023.

Where it all began…

The Founder of Positive Path Foundation, Jane Atkinson decided to set up a charity herself to benefit her son George and many others like him, this was following years of struggle trying to find suitable disability social groups for her son to join.

The Foundation originally started organising social events that enabled their members to meet new people, socialise, enjoy being out in the community and gain new friendship skills.

We have now grown to offer:

Therapy & Mentoring for the whole family

Special Needs Adult Support for over 16’s

PPF Extra for 11 – 15yr olds

Bespoke Sibling Days Out & Support

Play therapy from age 3+

Time Out for over 16’s

For full information take a look under our Family Support section or email Jane@positivepathfoundation.org

Jane’s Background

Jane developed her own play therapy 22 years ago to assist her then non-verbal classically autistic son. George went from severe autism with no play or social skills, eating issues and ritualistic behaviour to now a high functioning 24 year old man who is currently studying childcare, working in a pre-school, driving his own car and socialising with friends he has made through Positive Path Foundation. Positive Path Play Therapy has worked with children all over the country, bringing great gains for families living with autism and is now operating within the same scope as Positive Path Foundation.