Tees Valley Buddies

Tees Valley Buddies Charity offering member led and lived experience approaches to support for neurodivergent individuals

Tees Valley Buddies is a Neurodivergent and member led charity creating opportunities for Autistic, ADHD, Dysraxic, Dyslexic and other neurodivergent members. We encourage a community through lived experience and peer support to improve well being, isolation and a sense of value and belonging. We do not offer 1:1 support or professional mental health support. We offer a range of activities from so

cial events, regular walks, well being activities, advice and sign-posting services. We are a small team, primarily with neurodivergent volunteers and management. We go above and beyond to cater to any needs especially such workplace challenges as autistic burn out. This may mean that there may be a longer wait times than organisations you may be used to due to our use of procedures and policy's that value and create equity for neurodivergent individuals.

Small Signs a Space Might Feel Safe for YouSometimes it’s not big things… it’s the little signals, such as:💜 You don’t f...
22/05/2026

Small Signs a Space Might Feel Safe for You

Sometimes it’s not big things… it’s the little signals, such as:

💜 You don’t feel pressured to talk
💚 Silence isn’t awkward
💜 People respect ‘no’ without pushing
💚 You can take a break without it being a big deal
💜 No one expects you to be ‘on’ all the time
💚 People listen without trying to fix everything
💜 You can show up as you are that day

Safety can feel different for everyone. What are small signs you notice that tell you a space feels safe?!?

⬇️ Share below if you’re comfortable

What Helps You Decompress After Socialising?? 🕊️🕊️Even when it’s a positive experience, socialising can still be a lot f...
19/05/2026

What Helps You Decompress After Socialising?? 🕊️🕊️

Even when it’s a positive experience, socialising can still be a lot for neurodivergent people and it’s completely normal to need time to reset afterwards.

Some ways people decompress:

💜Quiet time or time alone
💚Music or a podcast
💜A nap or early night
💚A shower or bath to reset
💜Comfort TV or food
💚A short walk
💜Favourite hobby or special interest

If you’re comfortable sharing…
what helps you decompress after socialising??(You might help someone else feel a bit more prepared)
Let us know in the comments 👇👇

What Is Social Prescribing??Some of our members find us through social prescribing 💜💚(It can also be called different th...
15/05/2026

What Is Social Prescribing??

Some of our members find us through social prescribing 💜💚
(It can also be called different things depending on your area)

It’s when a health or social care professional connects you with community support. Usually, you’ll speak to a link worker who helps find what suits you.

How to access it:
Ask your GP surgery, they usually have a social prescriber or link worker attached and can arrange an appointment. It’s free, and you don’t need to be in crisis.

Have you heard of it before or used it?

⬇️ Let us know or ask any questions

After time away…It’s very common for people to attend groups for a while and then take a break.Sometimes returning after...
12/05/2026

After time away…

It’s very common for people to attend groups for a while and then take a break.

Sometimes returning after time away can feel harder than the first visit, even if the group was previously comfortable.

Different things can make returning easier, such as familiar faces, knowing the environment, or just being reassured that it’s okay to come back after a break.

If you have previously joined us and have had some time away, just know you will always be welcome, with no judgement and we won’t force you to tell us your reasons, we will simply be glad to see you again.

What helps you return to a group or activity after time away?

Drop your tips and thoughts below 👇👇

Things That Are Allowed at Our Groups (That Might Surprise You) 🙈🙈At TVB we work a little differently than most neurotyp...
08/05/2026

Things That Are Allowed at Our Groups (That Might Surprise You) 🙈🙈

At TVB we work a little differently than most neurotypical groups, and below are some things that are not only allowed, but fully encouraged!!

💚Being quiet the whole time
You don’t have to talk. You can just sit, listen, and be around others.

💜Only staying for 10 minutes (or however long you fancy)
If that’s all you can manage, that’s more than enough. You can leave whenever you need to.

💚Changing your mind last minute
We get that some days are harder than others or unexpected things pop up.

💜Talking about random things
This one is almost a must!!
Chat about TV, games, your pet, anything.

💚Stimming
Fidgeting, rocking, tapping, using fidget toys, all of it is completely okay here.

💜Taking breaks during the session
Need some air or a few minutes to yourself? No problem at all.

💚Asking questions
No such thing as a stupid question here.
About the group, how things work, or what to expect, you’re always welcome to ask.

💜Bringing comfort items
Headphones, fidget toys, drinks, snacks, anything that helps you feel at ease.

💚Sitting quietly on your phone for a bit
Sometimes just being there is the first step.

If you’ve been thinking about coming along, and these things feel like they fit you, maybe this is your sign 💚💜

We want to gently remind everyone that Tees Valley Buddies is a peer support community, not a crisis service.Our groups ...
03/05/2026

We want to gently remind everyone that Tees Valley Buddies is a peer support community, not a crisis service.

Our groups are designed to offer connection, understanding, and low-pressure social spaces with people who get it. While we care deeply about our community, our volunteers are not trained to provide urgent or clinical support, and we are not able to respond to crisis situations.

If you need immediate help or are in crisis, please reach out to the appropriate services:

• NHS 111 (select the mental health option)
• Your GP
• Local crisis team
• Samaritans (116 123, free and available 24/7)
• If you are in immediate danger, please call 999 or go to A&E

You deserve the right support at the right time. Reaching out to these services can feel hard, but they are there to help keep you safe.

We are here to walk alongside you in the in-between moments, not to replace the support you may need in a crisis 🤍🤍

What a beaut of a week! The turtles are back out sunning themselves so of course, our thursday walk means more deliberat...
02/05/2026

What a beaut of a week! The turtles are back out sunning themselves so of course, our thursday walk means more deliberations on how many turtles there are, are they even real if no one has seen one actually move or is it in fact the same turtle that someones friend lost that perhaps got released into the pond.
Plus lots of sharing of those random pieces of knowledge, us autistic and adhd-ers like to hold onto for these exact moments.

Note shorts guy (our fascilitator Dan) hiding out of shot because cameras.

If youre not quite sure if we're the right fit for you, pop along and experience our community and you'll find we're all welcomed and embraced here.

**Dont worry, not embraced literally, most of us hate hugs!

See you next Thursday folks for more shenanigans!

Do you need a formal diagnosis to come to TVB?Absolutely not.You don’t need a diagnosis, referral, or anything official ...
29/04/2026

Do you need a formal diagnosis to come to TVB?

Absolutely not.

You don’t need a diagnosis, referral, or anything official to attend our groups.

We know the process of getting diagnosed can be long, inaccessible, or just not something everyone wants to go through. Some people in our community are diagnosed, some are self-identified, and some are still figuring things out.

If you feel like you’d benefit from the space, we’d love for you to join us.

Who are TVB groups for? 🧠🌈This might sound weird, but a lot of the people who end up coming to TVB are the ones who almo...
26/04/2026

Who are TVB groups for? 🧠🌈

This might sound weird, but a lot of the people who end up coming to TVB are the ones who almost didn’t. The ones who sat and thought about it for ages, assuming they wouldn’t fit in.

I think it’s safe to say almost everyone attending one of our groups for the first time people feel a bit (or a lot) anxious and unsure of themselves. Some are really quiet at first, some are masking their way through it, some don’t know what to say or where to stand. That’s all very normal here.

We’ve got a mix of members and volunteers. Some have diagnoses, some are figuring things out, some just know they’ve never really fit in typical social spaces. We have a range of ages from 18+ (the majority of us sit between 25-45 but there is certainly no upper limit) and many of our members are part of the q***r community so we are a strictly judgement free zone.

It’s also a very… quietly geeky group. Shared interests come up a lot, but no one’s expected to be into anything specific.

I think the easiest way to explain TVB is that it feels like that friend who notices you if you say something in a group and it gets missed, and they circle back to you so you feel heard. You don’t get talked over or brushed past in the same way a lot of people are used to.

If you’re reading this and thinking
‘I don’t know if I’d fit in there’ then you probably have more in common with the group than you realise. 💜💚

Middlesbrough Lottery📌📌Did you know you can support our charity and enter a draw to win up to £25k?? 💰💰£1 per ticket, as...
24/04/2026

Middlesbrough Lottery📌📌

Did you know you can support our charity and enter a draw to win up to £25k?? 💰💰

£1 per ticket, as often or as little as you like.

Every penny helps keep our charity running and allows us to continue supporting neurodivergent people in the Tees Valley area

See link below if you want to be in with the chance to win 👇👇 please gamble responsibly

https://www.middlesbroughlottery.co.uk/support/tees-valley-buddies

Address

109-111 Parliament Road
Middlesbrough
TS14JE

Telephone

+447852889202

Website

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