Gosport charity host fun day for families with children who suffer with autism

Tricia Lyons, left and Shandrika Day from Marvels and Meltdowns with Gosport mayor Lynn Hook Picture: Pixeldog Media

Marvels and Meltdowns charity, based in Gosport, hosted a family cookout for families who have children who suffer from ADHD and autistic spectrum conditions.

Set up in January last year by friends Shandrika Day and Tricia Lyons, Marvels and Meltdowns aims to be a place for parents to talk about their children’s conditions and be given advice and help by others who have been through the same thing.

Shandrika, 36, said: ‘It was a super fun day and everyone who attended had a great time.

‘I was close to breaking point before my son Kayden was diagnosed and didn’t know what to do.

‘I couldn’t have done it without the help of Tricia and now we want to give other parents and carers a place to come to share their experiences.

‘The event was a place where everyone was in the same boat and, if a child did have a meltdown, nobody would be bothered by it.

‘I’d like to thank the councillors and supermarkets who helped fund our events over the summer.

‘Our charity is open to any parent who have similar struggles. We’re always looking for volunteers and hoping to expand to other areas.’

Nikki Martin, 30, whose six-year-old twins have additional needs, said: ‘The event was brilliant and Marvels and Meltdowns have been a life saver to me.

‘I used to dread the summer holidays and I cannot fault Shandrika and Tricia’s work.

‘A lot of people do not realise children have ADHD in public because it is invisible and people don’t understand.

‘I was at the end of my tether before attending Marvels’ meetings. Everyone has or is going through the same thing and we share tips to help each other.’

Mayor of Gosport, Councillor Lynn Hook, said: ‘It was good to be at the opening of Marvel and Meltdowns fun day, especially as it is one of my chosen charities for the year.

‘What was so marvellous was that everything was free with people just being asked to donate what they could afford.’

The charity has been running events throughout the summer and ended the school holidays with its fun day, which took place at Alverstoke Parish Centre.

The objective was not to raise funds, but for parents and their children to enjoy a day where they would not be judged.