(UK) Dingwall: New autism support center opens with $269K from Highland Council

July 25, 2025, Ross-shire Journal: Dingwall opening of new support centre for neurodivergent children by charity Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland (A-ND) hailed as milestone for Ross-shire families 

Scotland

A groundbreaking new facility in Dingwall set to make a “life-changing” difference to neurodivergent children has been hailed “a breath of fresh air”.

Families can now benefit from the new facility at Bridgend Business Park, the base for charity Autism & Neurodiversity North Scotland (A-ND).

It has turned the space into a playground for young people with additional needs to offer vital support through its A-ND Dingwall Club and Playscheme.

It was made possible through private funding of £200,000, [$269K] with Highland Council then providing operation costs, which are estimated at just over £100,000 [$134K] a year. . . .

With support for families and carers looking after autistic and neurodivergent children in the Highlands increasingly harder to get, Dingwall was picked as the location for the new centre in a bid to make vital support for families more accessible. . . .

 “We're so blessed to have something like this in the Highlands for my two daughters.

Somewhere like this gives them a nice, safe place to come relax and just be a child, because I think sometimes people forget that they are just normal children too — they may present a little bit differently and they may come across a little bit differently, but that doesn't mean they're any less valuable in society.”

He said times are particularly challenging for Highland families who find themselves struggling for support.

He said: “It's a really worrying time for not only us, but the children as well, because they deserve the right support and every child deserves to feel safe, secure, and comfortable in the environment that they're in, and this is one place that definitely ticks all those boxes.”

The centre has two large rooms with playing equipment of all kinds — including a large soft-play area, as well as a separate sensory room and a fenced garden.

Eleven families within a 15-mile radius of Dingwall are currently being supported, but the hope is to help more people and expand the service in the future.

A-ND North Scotland CEO, Billy Alexander, said: “We're making a real difference to their lives, and hearing that the facility and the support that we're providing is somewhat life-changing for them.

 “Families can go to work and have a life. They can stay together. For many adults being a parent is tough at the best of times. Being a parent of a child who's got additional support needs, neurodiversity is even tougher. And what the strain can put in a family and relationships often means our children and young people are being supported by services far, far away, which can cause even further tension and friction in families.”

That can have a real big impact on individual relationships as well as family units: “And, sadly, we see some children and young people not remaining with families because it's just such a difficult thing.

“This facility, being whe

re families are without them having to travel far and wide is just so important because it means they get the support when they need it and where they need it.”

The Dingwall playscheme support is accessible through referral and is tailored on an individual basis — and is neurodiverse specific, with the facility designed to meet children’s needs.

The charity now has 15 members of staff in the Highlands — and the hope is that in the future the scheme can be replicated in other parts of Scotland by obtaining further funding.

MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross Maree Todd called it a “much-needed” service adding: “My constituents live in Wester Ross and in Easter Ross, and Dingwall is accessible for nearly all of them — we all know how difficult it is to travel.” . . .