West Wales neurodiverse outreach group celebrates two new grant awards
A small but growing West Wales community group is celebrating another major boost after securing two new grants to support its work with neurodiverse adults.
Carmarthen Aberystwyth Neurodiverse Outreach, known as CANDO, has been awarded £2,000 from Community Foundation Wales and £1,350 from Barcud.
The new funding marks another important step forward for the volunteer-led group, which was set up to provide support, friendship, understanding and practical help for neurodiverse adults in West Wales.
CANDO was founded after formal autism outreach support in the area came to an end, leaving many people without the regular contact and safe social spaces they had relied on. From those difficult beginnings, the group has steadily grown into an important local resource, offering welcoming sessions in both
Carmarthen and Aberystwyth.
The latest grants will help strengthen that work even further. Barcud’s funding is for capital equipment, helping the group improve the practical resources it can offer to members, while the Community Foundation Wales award will support the wider continuation and development of CANDO’s community work.
Chairman Jeremy Rundle said the awards were not just about money, but about recognition of the real need that exists across rural West Wales.
He said: “These grants mean a great deal to us. They show that organisations are recognising both the need for this kind of support and the value of what our group is doing. CANDO began with almost nothing, but through determination, volunteer effort and the kindness of supporters, we have continued to grow.”
He added: “For many neurodiverse adults, especially in rural areas, isolation can be a very real problem. Our group offers somewhere people can come as they are, meet others who understand, and receive practical support without judgement. This funding will help us build on that.”
CANDO now runs regular sessions in Carmarthen at the Living Well Centre and in Aberystwyth at Tesco’s
community room, giving members opportunities not only for peer support and social connection, but also for help with digital inclusion through the group’s developing IT support work.
Over the past year, the group has continued to expand what it can offer, with previous support from other funders and local organisations helping it to establish a stronger base. The two latest grants are seen as further proof that community-based, grassroots support can make a real difference.
Supporters of the group say its strength lies in the fact that it has been built from lived experience and a real understanding of the barriers many neurodiverse adults face. As well as offering companionship and continuity, the group also helps members gain confidence, access services, and take part more fully in community life.
CANDO has thanked both Barcud and Community Foundation Wales for their support, saying the grants will directly benefit people in the local community.
With demand for supportive, understanding spaces continuing to grow, the group hopes these new awards will help it continue its work and reach even more people across West Wales in the months ahead.
