September Coffee Morning - Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet

Join us for our monthly coffee morning in Margate!

Format for the coffee morning:

Our Coffee Mornings are a space where you bring what works for you—whether that’s life admin (to use the event to body-double with someone), bring your own work-in-progress craft project, a game, or just yourself.

Coffee Mornings are entirely shaped by what attendees choose to bring and do, creating a shared space for connection without set activities.

We understand that people engage in different ways. Some find having activities helpful for socialising, others may prefer to simply sit and chat, and that’s equally welcome.

Participation in any activity, socialising, or conversation is always optional—you can join in as much or as little as you like.

Check our answers to frequently asked questions about this event below this description (scroll down).

Please note that it is possible to purchase drinks or food from this venue. We also hope to be able to provide complimentary teas and filter coffee. Tap water will be available.

For legal and safeguarding reasons, this event is 18+ only.

Find out more about what we do and read our code of conduct available in our WELCOME PACK. We expect all participants of our event to read, agree and comply with our code of conduct, therefore ensuring the safety of everyone involved and their own. Our welcome pack also include frequently asked questions and our answers to them.

Our visual story is a handy document, it shows you what to expect and where things are. Read it before you come, we hope it helps you enjoy our meetup even more!

Event Details:

Date: Friday 26th Septmeber

Time: 10am-12pm (Please do not arrive early - doors open at 10am)

Location: Albion House Hotel, Albion Pl, Ramsgate CT11 8HQ

Is booking required?

We recommend booking in advance. The venue has limited space and the venue is not privatised for this event. You don't have to book a ticket to come, but it’s the only way to absolutely guarantee your place for the coffee morning.

Access/Transportation:

Nearby Transport:

🚌 Bus: Bus Stop Wellington Crescent, 9X, 45, Loop,

🚘 Carparks (charges apply), Albion Place Car Park, Leopald Street,

On-street parking nearer to the venue: Albion Place and Wellington Crescent is paid for on street parking, from Victoria Parade and beyond is free on-street parking.

Who this event is NOT for:

This event is not for anyone seeking unpaid emotional labour from our community. This event is not a place for you to carry out research, arrange consultations or solicit feedback or gather information for your own agenda. This event is not for anyone being paid to attend on behalf of an organisation. If you have a feeling that this might be you, please send us an email at [email protected].

The only non-Neurodivergent people welcome at this event are support-people/caregivers and potentially venue staff.

Neurocurious (questioning whether you might be neurodivergent) and self-diagnosed individuals are absolutely welcome.

A little bit about us:

Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet (NDFT) is a local community group offering meet-ups, creative workshops and peer support, for Neurodivergent Adults based in Thanet, Kent, UK.

We are 100% Neurodivergent & community-led, inclusive and intersectionality-informed, for Neurodivergents from all backgrounds, abilities, and ages(18+), whether diagnosed, self-identifying or questioning.

Our mission is to bridge the gap in local resources for Neurodivergent adults, working for positive change in mental health, well-being, community, belonging, self-acceptance, and self-advocacy.

We are not health professionals, social workers, therapists, mental health advisors, Neurodiversity researchers or any other official authority. We are simply a caring group of Neurodivergent adults trying to do something good for our local community.

Our group is not aimed at parents seeking advice as parents of Neurodivergent children and our activities are not suitable for children. However, we understand that many neurodivergent adults are also parents. It is important to us to break as many barriers as possible for our peers to attend our events and we will be working on finding ways to accommodate parents who may not have access to childcare in the future.

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Info: A member of NDFT team will be at the door and ask for your name to tick you off our attendees' list. You will be offered a sticky label to write your name and pronouns for others to know. You will be offered to chose between 3 stickers to indicate your social battery level to other attendees. ? Green = "Full battery!" This indicates to other attendees that you have energy and are happy for people to approach you, engage with you and engage back with them. ? Yellow = "Take it easy with me." This indicates that you want to interact with others, but you need people to be mindful that you are not at your highest level of energy, and to take it easy with you. ? Red = "Please don't talk to me unless I talk to you first." This indicated that you want to be around people, but your energy is low, and you don't want people to engage with you unless you engage with them first. The red tags will not apply to facilitators for safety reasons.

Info: Around 15-20 minutes after the event started, the lead facilitator of the event will ask everyone's attention to introduce our team, the event, and read NDFT's participation promise. The participation promise is a short introduction to our value as an organisation and ensure everyone understands what the event is and isn't. Questions are welcomed and encouraged and if you have any, about anything, at any time, please speak to one of our facilitator.

Info: The event will continue and you will be able to engage with activities and others in a lose and lightly facilitated manner. If you need any support at any time, talk to one of our facilitator who will be able to talk with you one-to-one, or introduce you to other people. Our team is here to support you with whatever is going on for you during the event.

Info: About ten minutes before the event finishes, facilitators will let you know that we'll be closing soon and invite you to fill in our feedback form. Our feedback form are anonymous to ensure you feel safe to share your genuine feedback with us. It is crucial for us to get your genuine feedback at the end of each events for several reasons: first it helps us make sure that we learn from each event and implement your feedback for the next one. This process helps us refine our events so that they constantly align with your needs and wants. Additionally, they are crucial information that support all our funding activities. Your feedback and testimonials are key and instrumental for us to secure on-going funding to keep our activities running and free of charge. Thanks in advance for helping us continue these events by taking 5 minutes to share your thoughts :)

Info: By 12pm we'll ask all attendees to leave the venue. Our team will start tidying up materials and cleaning up the venue. Although we will not rush you to leave the space, please note that we all must be done wrapping up and out of the venue by 12:30pm. Thank you.

Host or Publisher Autistic & Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet