Helping Hands marks 10-year milestone

Sandwell service supports more than 1,000 families as it marks 10-year milestone

A Sandwell support service helping families of neurodivergent children is celebrating 10 years of making a difference in the local community.

Family Action’s Helping Hands service has supported more than 1,000 families since launching in 2016, offering practical advice, a listening ear and welcoming spaces for parents and carers whose children may be autistic, have ADHD, or other additional needs.

The service was set up at a time when local support for families, particularly those exploring ADHD, was very limited. From the outset, the team worked closely with parents across Sandwell, meeting them in schools, children’s centres and community groups to understand what support was missing and what would help most.

Over the past decade, Helping Hands has grown from small, volunteer-led play sessions and parent groups into a trusted, flexible service that continues to adapt to families’ needs. This has included after school and holiday “play and stay” sessions, relaxed parent groups, and workshops offering practical ways to support children during difficult moments.

One parent said:

I just wanted to say thank you for everything too. I have gained more and genuinely felt supported, heard and validated by you and the course in these few sessions more than by the school in the past two or three years.

As demand has grown, the service has developed into a small but dedicated staffed team, continuing to provide tailored help, as well as sensory books for children and wellbeing resources for parents.

Sam Edwards, Service Manager at Family Action’s Helping Hands service, said:

Celebrating 10 years of Helping Hands is a particularly poignant moment for me, and one I’m incredibly proud of. We started at a time when there was very little support in Sandwell for families of young neurodivergent children and none at all for those exploring ADHD.

From the beginning, we listened to families and shaped the service around what they told us they needed. Over the years, we’ve seen more and more parents feeling isolated and unsure where to turn, and that’s where Helping Hands steps in, offering a friendly, inclusive space where people feel understood and supported.

We may be a small team, but we’re passionate about making a big difference, and we’re proud that more than 1,000 families have walked alongside us over the past decade.