At our services, we provide lots of opportunities for people to take part in creative activities. These sessions not only offer young people the chance to do something they enjoy, they also encourage self-expression, build confidence and help to improve wellbeing and reduce stress.
This spring, the young people at our Vibe service have been enjoying sessions with Matthew and Kevin from @livemusicnowscotland
Over the weeks, they worked together to write I Guess, Maybe, an original song based on a poem written by one of the young people we support.
The young people contributed lots of ideas about how they wanted the song to sound and feel, which helped to develop their confidence and self-expression, and also encouraged them to work together. They also played instruments and sang on the recording, and we’re excited to share the finished song!
Thank you again to Live Music Scotland. We’re sure you’ll agree that they have supported the young people to write a fantastic song.
Vibe supports neurodivergent young people aged 12-18 to improve wellbeing and build resilience, helping them to reengage with learning. To find out more, visit our website (link in bio).
It`s Fundraising Friday, and this week we`re saying a huge well done to our fantastic team who took on the Hairy Haggis relay at the @edinburghmarathonfestival to raise money for Donaldsons!
The team – Graeme Donald, Stephen Caulfield and Angela Evans (Donaldson Trust colleagues) and Sandy McGowan (a parent of a young person we support) – faced the additional challenge of some very hot weather as they headed to the starting line on Sunday 24 May. They showed incredible teamwork across the 26.2-mile race, and we are very proud of them.
So far, the team has raised almost £800. The money raised will benefit the Sensational Learning Centre, which supports neurodivergent children and young people who face challenges in traditional mainstream education settings. There`s still time to show your support at the link in our bio.
If the team’s effort has inspired you to take on a fundraising challenge, head to our website for our calendar of upcoming events (link in bio).
#fundraising #neurodiversity #running
We’d like to say a huge thank you to two of our amazing corporate partners who have been fundraising for The Donaldson Trust.
A team from Nexa Life Sciences and CSG Concilium Search Group got stuck in to the Tough Mudder challenge, raising a fantastic £1393.75! The total raised so far during their partnership with us is £2,385.
Our local partners from Pacitti Jones Estate Agency & Solicitors Linlithgow took on the Port of Leith Distillery Abseil, raising an incredible £1,413.70 and bringing their partnership total to £2,032.95.
Thank you to all of the team members who took part in these challenges, and to each and every person who sponsored them.
Fundraising helps us to build a more inclusive community where neurodivergent people are recognised, valued, and supported to thrive, and every penny does make a real difference.
If you are interested in fundraising for us, get in touch: getinvolved@donaldsons.org.uk
Our services take a person-centred approach, supporting people to take part in activities they enjoy while also building their confidence and giving them opportunities to develop new skills. Jamie, who is supported by our Treehouse service, loves to bake, and recently enjoyed one of his weekly baking sessions choosing to make cupcakes and a pizza to take home for dinner.
It was a really fun session, but for Jamie, it was so much more than that.
It gave him the opportunity to make decisions about what he wanted to prepare, helping to build choice-making skills and encouraging independence.
With support from Wellbeing Practitioner Mark, Jamie measured out the ingredients for the cakes and mixed everything together. This supported his learning around following instructions, sequencing tasks, measuring, and developing hand-eye coordination. While the cakes were baking, Jamie added his toppings to the pizza base, which helped him practise multitasking, planning ahead, and managing different stages of an activity. And when the cupcakes had cooled, Jamie decorated them with brightly coloured icing. This part of the session encouraged creativity, fine motor skills, and sensory engagement, while also giving Jamie the chance to express himself and take pride in the finished result.
Jamie is working towards his National 2 Social Subjects: Making a Decision, and these sessions offer great opportunities for him to develop his skills in the kitchen while having fun. Jamie was excited to take his tasty treats home to share with his family.
To find out more about how our Treehouse service supports neurodivergent young adults, visit our website – link in bio.
Is your young person leaving school this June?
If you’re unsure what comes next, you’re not alone.
When school ends, many families are left asking the same question: what happens next?
For many neurodivergent young people, leaving school can mean losing structure, routine, and support — and being left without a clear path forward.
At Gate, we understand that reality and we’re here to help.
We provide a safe, structured environment where young adults can build confidence, develop real-life skills, and begin to see a clearer path forward.
Join us at our Open Evening to see how we support young adults to build confidence, develop life skills, and move towards a future that fits them – at their pace.
You’ll meet the team, see the space, and talk through what comes next in a way that feels right for you and your young person.
📍 The Donaldson Trust, Preston Road, Linlithgow EH
📅 Thursday 18th June
⏰ 5-7pm
You don’t have to navigate this alone.
A future that fits starts with the right support.
Book your place at our Open Evening at the link in our bio.
#neurodiversity #SchoolLeavers #neurodivergence
Good luck to our amazing team taking on the Hairy Haggis relay as part of the @edinburghmarathonfestival this Sunday (24 May)!
After months of training and preparation, Graeme Donald, Stephen Caulfield and Angela Evans (Donaldson Trust colleagues) and Sandy McGowan (a parent of a young person we support) are ready for the starting line.
They will collectively complete the relay over 26.2 miles to raise funds for the Sensational Learning Centre, which supports neurodivergent children and young people who face challenges in traditional mainstream education settings.
This is an amazing challenge and we’ll be cheering our team on every step of the way.
The team has raised almost £700 so far, and there`s still time to show your support. If you would like to sponsor the team, visit the link in our bio.
#neurodiversity #fundraising #EdinburghMarathonFestival
Supporting neurodivergent young people to have new experiences creates opportunities to build confidence, develop resilience, discover strengths they may not have realised they had, and show themselves they can take on challenges in ways that work for them.
The young people supported at our Vibe service took on a new challenge at @eicaratho, where they had the chance to explore climbing and bouldering in a fun and supportive environment.
The instructor guided everyone through important safety requirements before introducing harness work, including learning how to safely belay and support each other. The group then stepped up to the climbing wall where they had the challenge of lowering themselves back down — a trickier task that took confidence and trust.
They also tried bouldering without harnesses, testing different skills and problem-solving abilities.
One of the young people enjoyed it so much that they went back to the centre to go bouldering again the following day, bringing their brother along to join in. Sometimes the biggest outcomes aren`t reaching the top of the wall, they`re discovering a new interest, finding confidence in your own abilities, and realising you`re capable of more than you thought.
Vibe supports neurodivergent young people aged 12-18 who are not in full-time attendance in mainstream education, helping them to improve their wellbeing to enable them to re-engage with learning. To find out more about Vibe support, visit the link in our bio.
We’re hiring: Term-Time Learning and Wellbeing Practitioner, Linlithgow
We’re looking for a proactive, empathetic and flexible practitioner to join our Sensational Learning Centre, a specialist school supporting neurodivergent pupils with complex additional support needs.
This is a full-time, term-time role (32.5 hours), giving you the opportunity to do meaningful work while maintaining a strong work-life balance, with school holidays off.
We’re looking for someone who:
– Has experience supporting individuals with additional support needs
– Has a good understanding of safeguarding
– Is a confident communicator with strong reading and writing skills (National 4 or equivalent in English and Maths)
– Can respond flexibly while providing consistent, structured support
– Has BSL (or a willingness to learn) – a bonus
You’ll be part of a values-led, supportive school community where wellbeing and pupil voice are at the heart of everything we do. In return, you’ll receive great benefits, including professional development, up to 12% pension contribution and a salary of £25,276 FTE (£14.96 per hour).
Closing date: Thursday 28 May (9am)
Interviews: Friday 5 June
Find out more and apply: https://bit.ly/4ui8nJe
