Hi my name is Chris – I'm a member of Positive Path Foundation!

Hi my name is Josh – I have been a member of the Positive Path Foundation now since it very first started all the back in late 2019. I attended the very first event which happened at the end of January 2020 and I can vividly remember how much fun it was and how it was super refreshing to meet new people and engage in a really supportive environment with the wonderful Jane and Shelley at hand to oversee and run the events with superb accuracy at involving everyone and making sure we have the best time ever. From that very first event it then got even more exciting as the membership list gradually started grow and grow and it went from strength to strength in terms of the charity being able to put on more exciting events like disco nights and trips to the zoo and bowling and not to mention the crazy golf which is always popular with the members. Since 2021 the charity has put on a weekend away residential somewhere with great activities on offer and a lot of fun and laughter to be had with the PPF Family. I've especially benefited and enjoyed the opportunity to get away from home and to forget about all my worries and troubles happening for a couple of day's. I can honestly say that without this charity in my life and without the connections and the people I've made friend's with my life would be drastically different today in a way that honestly I don't think I'd be able to cope socially around people because I'd be too anxious, worried and overwhelmed to think about surrounding myself with new people. It's honestly brought me out of my shell massively and given me a huge surge of confidence boosting into a lot of areas in my life where I massively needed it. Without the Positive Path Foundation I would simply not have made it through the pandemic because of the mental strain it was having on me and how badly it was affecting me. The lockdowns especially were difficult however through zoom calls upon which we did bingo it did manage to help me not feel so alone. Even just being able to meet up with Jane and her amazing incredible son George for whom she set up the charity so he could feel included socially and mix with people his age who would understand his autism. Just being able to meet up with Jane and George for some socially distanced walks in the new forest helped massively as restrictions eased. Me and George as time went on began to strike up a very good friendship so much so that we are now besties and chat everyday on WhatsApp or text. Having George as a bestie is amazing because he can cheer me up instantly on a really bad day and also Jane and Shelley are super supportive to me when I'm having a really low and down day. Through this charity I've manged to make friend's with super nice and caring people who I feel are friend's for life. This charity has saved my life in many way's and it can transform so many lives if it can get the necessary funding to grow bigger and bigger. I've had some incredible opportunities because I was made a members team leader which is a position I am honoured and privileged to upheld. It means that I support new members and help them settle in. It's great that Jane and Shelley have full confidence in me to be a supportive role to new members who are shy and nervous at events. I will always do what I can to help the charity when they need it. I love my PPF family and it means the absolute world to me to be a part of this. I can see a bright future for the charity and I do believe that it can help massively with the member's mental health and feeling valued and listened to. I hope it can benefit you from reading my testimonial and thanks for taking the time to do that.

Hi my name is Zoe - Mum of Maisie & Phoebe – My partner and I contacted Jane Atkinson (Positive Path Foundation) over our concerns about our two young daughters, who were visibly struggling. Jane listened to our our concerns and immediately reassured us that the behaviours and challenges we were seeing were typical of young children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and our experiences are common among parents of ASD kids. Jane has been nothing but kind, helpful and supportive. She has been there as a shoulder to cry on, but more practically also supported our EHCP meetings and phone calls with other professionals. Jane is attending the assessments of our youngest girl to help us obtain the official diagnosis needed for EHCP. I honestly don’t know what we would have done without Jane. The children love her. Jane goes completely out of her way to help us access the support we need by any means possible. In our experience to date, this is a very rare quality. I would highly recommend her. 5 stars from the children! xxx

Hi my name is Emma – My name is Emma Wilson and I am very happy to be a member of Positive Path Foundation (PPF). I have really enjoyed all of the activities and meeting new friends. Jane and Shelley are such nice people and they work really hard to arrange a lot of activities for us to enjoy. I loved the summer camp at Osmington Bay, where we did climbing, archery, rifle shooting, buggy-building and zip-wire. I also enjoyed movie nights, drama, crazy golf, arcade games, laser tag, barbecue, Valentines day and going to the theatre (we saw School of Rock and Beauty and the Beast). Jane and Shelley are such fun and always make me laugh. I am really grateful for the nice new friends that I have made through PPF.

Hi my name is Tania – Jane came over to talk to myself and a group of local Childminders as we often feel 'lost' when it comes to supporting children with autism and/or SEND needs, and their families. Her in-depth knowledge and first hand experience was invaluable to us. It was so informative speaking to someone who is just so dedicated to fighting for these children's needs, and their families, as they so desperately need such support to tackle the system to get the best outcomes possible for the child.

Hi my name is Nikki – We have been working with Jane from the PPF since January 2022. Our youngest son started Secondary School in September 2021 and was having extreme difficulties adjusting and settling into his new environment. We are presently undertaking an EHCP for him and also an ASC assessment, as the Secondary School identified him as being on the Autistic Spectrum. Initially we were lost as a family, with this diagnosis. We just assumed our son was strong willed and would do things in his own time, which has been the case with most of his development on reflection. There was no indication from Primary School other than in Home Schooling during the Pandemic we struggled to get him to engage with this homework at the time. His behaviour was very extreme with regular meltdowns and crying fits, this was taking place at home and within the school setting. He was withdrawn and wouldn't really interact with us as a family. We had a couple of "parental" sessions initially where we explained our history and then Jane suggested different strategies and techniques to use when he was displaying this type of behaviour in the home setting. The strategies whilst seemed "easy" to implement I knew there would be much resistance from our son.....However Jane was on hand whenever I needed reassurance or someone to talk too...and we committed to them and stuck with it. Within a few weeks of sticking to the new way of parenting; I'm pleased to say the strategies were having a positive affect. Our son is interacting with us happily now. He is more engaged with us as family, and there are less meltdowns too!!! If we do have the odd blip/moment, then I feel confident with how to handle these situations now and for that I will be eternally grateful. We continue to work with Jane, she is supporting us through the EHCP process and helping us liaise with the various Departments this involves. I would 100% recommend Positive Path Foundation. George's mum

Hi my name is Fraser – Life has changed for Fraser over the last 6 months since discovering this wonderful charity. He is accepted, acknowledged and appreciated within a group, offered opportunities to socialise, interact and communicate in a safe and age appropriate environment. Jane and Shelley source a mix of fun and engaging activities and events that I can’t replicate at home. He has learn new skills whilst taking part in archery, rock climbing and go karting and built friendships and trust whilst playing team games and sports. Fraser very much looks forwards to the events, always keen to know when the next outing is which gives him a sense of belonging and inclusion. As parents, other than his school days, we provided all his social and leisure activities which were often poorly attended due to his isolation within the community and his peers. He is thriving within his new found group, talking about ‘my friends’ which is heartwarming to hear. We drop him off in the capable hands of Jane and Shelley knowing he will have a fantastic time, which also allows us some hours of respite and a break. I wholeheartedly recommend Positive Path Foundation for the exceptional service they provide and the productive impact it has had on our lives - Georgi, Fraser's mum

Hi my name is Katie Yates – Hi Jane, Thank you so much for the weekend away. I loved the weekend away, it has been great to spend time with friends and I loved all of the activities even the rifle shooting as I did not think I would like it, it has been an amazing weekend with lots of fun and laughter. Thank Jane and Shelley Lots of love Katie xxx

Hi my name is Emma Austin – Hi Jane & Shelley, I liked all of the activities especially the climbing wall it has inspired me to think about a rock climbing course. It also gave me inspiration that if I put my mind to it, I can do anything no matter how hard it is. I enjoyed the company of friends, Shelley, Jane and the two instructors at Osmington Bay. They were all so nice and understanding. They were also very helpful. I found that the accommodation was lovely too, we could just relax in our rooms or sit down in the lounge when ever we felt like it. Overall I really enjoyed myself and I would like to go there again if possible. Love Emma

Hi my name is George Stooks – I had an amazing time with my friends at our residential weekend. I loved all the activities and having lots of fun. Thank you mum for setting up the charity as I have made so many friends xx

Hi my name is Jay – I found out about positive path last year and thought I would give it a go and I am so glad I did. I love meeting new friends of all ages and always look forward to the next trip . Since starting I have been on a boat trip, crazy golf, bowling, quiz night with dinner, beach games but most of all going to see a show.

Hi my name is Sam Cole – A brilliant group of people who I have developed strong relationships with that has changed my life forever!

Hi my name is Charlotte Rimmington – I love and enjoy being part of the Positive Path Family as everyone is so kind, and we all look after each other as a family. I enjoy going on trips and spending time with everyone. Jane and Shelley are both so kind, caring and such lovely ladies welcoming me into the positive path family group when I joined making me feel like I am part of the positive path family and they make sure everyone in the group is ok. Positive Path Foundation has helped me by giving me the confidence to make new friends my age like my best friend Katie and my friend Tyra who I enjoy meeting up with.

Hi my name is Chris – I enjoy going to the Positive Path events and the people are nice, especially Jane

Hi my name is Ben – The PPF is really fun, we do all sorts of different fun activities, my favourites were bowling, beach games and the pub night. Even when I am anxious Shelley and the others make me feel OK and I still have a great time. I enjoy getting to know new people there. I enjoy the meals they do there, I enjoy the fun entertainment they do there, I do remember on the last residential we did a drama club with funny acting in a play we did. Yeah I enjoyed the boat race and the camp fire. I enjoyed the crazy golf too, the indoor one and the outdoor one. I enjoyed bowling because bowling is one of my favourites. I remember I enjoyed playing Beach Volleyball at the beach one time. Yeah I’m looking forward to the Swanage railway trip going on a train and I’m looking forward to the residential we are going on in the future.

Hi my name is Stephen – Hi, my name is Stephen - I was a little anxious as I didn't know what it would be like until I finally met all these people at Positive Path. And now that I have found it incredibly exciting whilst have been able to make more new friends including George who is such fun, chatty and makes me laugh as he is full of friendly humour since I have had lots of friendly chats with him! The staff I have met are so fun and friendly when they have been watching me and other people help each other in a team during one of the social games or activities. I enjoy the social games we do such as the bingo, quizzes, discos and the outdoor activities we have done like the 'snowtrax' and crazy golf. I also thank all Positive Path for following me on Instagram and l really looking forward to coming to the beach evening next week and all the other fun activities we will do together

Hi my name is Emma – Positive Path Foundation is a fantastic charity. Since I have been a member it has made me feel that I am finally part of something, as we are all treated and respected in the same way. I’m meeting new people and making friends. Since lockdown we have been doing some exciting activities on Zoom which has helped me stay connected. That’s why I like Positive Path Foundation.

Hi my name is Joe – What I enjoyed about being a member is that we are all equal with our disabilities. We are all being positive and you meet all the members and staff who run the charity.

Hi my name is Katie Yates – I love being a member of Positive Path Foundation as it helped me to meet new friends as it is hard at my age to meet people. Jane and Shelley are fab people and have made it feel really relaxed.

Hi my name is Tyra – I like going to drama club and going to Crazy Golf and meeting new friends. I like hanging out with all the people. I also like doing the zooms with quizzes and bingo and other games. It is fun to be able to talk to others and Jane and her helpers are good and kind and support us all. I like that we go out to coffee shops or pubs and other outings with all of them. It is nice to have new friends to talk to and do things with, together. Jane is a loving caring person who helps us all to understand things and feel better about ourselves. She supports us and encourages