How do WE diverge? A panel talk on Neurodivergent community
How do WE diverge? A panel talk on Neurodivergent community
With Ben Constable, Jo Hopley, Immy Bawtree.
This talk invites three Neurodivergent locals to celebrate Neurodivergent communities, centering lived, communal experiences over professional or organisational viewpoints.
Rather than focusing on how services or systems support individuals, we will ask: how do Neurodivergent people live, relate, and build community with one another?
Meet The Panellists
Kanndiss Riley Pronounced Candeese - Pronouns: Please use my name
Kanndiss Riley is a dynamic and results-driven professional with extensive experience across the charity, education, sports, and media sectors. Holding postgraduate qualifications in journalism, data science, personal training, senior management, procurement, and human resources, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to business strategy, stakeholder engagement, and high-impact activations.
Jo Hopley - She/her
As a dyslexic, ADHD, and autistic individual, Jo brings a unique – and sometimes delightfully chaotic – perspective to championing neurodiversity. Jo is the driving force behind her workplace's Neurodiversity ERG (employee resource group), which she helped establish a mere two years ago. What started as a new initiative is now a vibrant, global community for her corporate colleagues, proving that a little neurodivergent sparkle goes a long way! Jo believes in the power of authenticity and strives to empower everyone to live as their true selves – even if that means embracing a few glorious quirks along the way.
Immy Bawtree - She/her
https://www.instagram.com/immy_b/
Immy is an events and venue manager at the independent venue in Margate, Faith in Strangers. She’s previously worked as a pastoral care manager at a Neurodiverse and additional needs music college, worked with neurodiverse music events, volunteering with local community groups, Oska Bright Film festival (the leading learning disability film festival in the world), and outreach for vulnerable young people.
Having had to drop out of further education in her early twenties suddenly, resulted in her discovery of learning she would get a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, which additionally prompted her long suspected ADHD diagnosis within the same year. It would then dawn on her that she needed to navigate the world in her own eyes, and not from the black and white vision she’d so desperately tried to force herself to see, throughout her life thus far.
Starting from the bottom up, she has worked hard to understand how her brain works, her triggers, her strengths, learning how to navigate a minefield of mood and energy irregularities in a world which doesn’t quite yet have the understanding- it’s a journey which she will continue on and learnt from for the rest of her life. The key premise from so many knock backs, and even severe episodes- getting back out into the world, each and every time, continues to prove to her that even with limitations others cannot see, her resilience and strength is a truly invaluable attribute she takes out into the world with her.
Years later, and at peace with who she truly is, and having learnt to love the parts that make her Immy, and not dimming them - she leads her life through love, integrity and empathy with every opportunity.
Besides her work at the venue, she loves her cats more than life itself, (all things cat related actually), creating art (a new craft to master every week never gets boring), deep diving into all genres of music, finding second hand trinkets at charity shops, bugs, and her fiance, Jed, who has the most incredible level of patience she’s ever seen in another human.
Ben Constable - He/Him
Ben is a volunteer at Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet, GOLD Project EK-Mencap member, co-teacher at CCCU & Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training, and co-chair for NHS Transforming Neurodiversity Support. In his free time he collects Pokémon merchandise, watches anime, and explores VR worlds. Ben is Autistic and has learning difficulties.
info@olba.co.uk 07846 846 089 www.olba.co.uk
Quiet spaces
If you need a breather or a space to regulate yourself, access to the outside area will be available throughout the day. During the afternoon, a quiet room will be available.
Visual Story
Access the Visual Story here.
Who is Thanet Neurodivergent Pride for?
Neurodivergent Pride is for everyone – Neurodivergent people, those who are questioning or curious, friends, family, neighbours, allies, and wider community members. Whether you’re here to connect, learn, celebrate, or simply be, you’re welcome.
Neurodivergent Pride is about building a community where everyone is seen, supported, and has space to be and thrive.
Learn more: www.ndft.org.uk/nd-pride-2025
About Neurodivergent Friends in Thanet (NDFT)
NDFT is 100% Neurodivergent & community-led. We are a community group helping local Neurodivergent adults meet their peers in safe spaces.
We are an inclusive and intersectionality-informed non-profit organisation for Neurodivergents from all backgrounds and all ages, 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.
How we define Neurodivergence at NDFT:
Neurodivergent: Someone whose thinking, learning, or mind-body processing diverges from what is commonly or societally expected. This means they experience life in particularly unique ways. Examples include but are not limited to: ADHD, Anxiety, Autism, Bipolar, C/PTSD, Depression, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, OCD, Tourette Syndrome...
Location
Foyle Rooms, Turner Contemporary, CT9 1HG