A Colney Heath model engineering group has flung open its doors for an ADHD and autism charity.
The North London Society of Model Engineers (NLSME) granted exclusive access to the ADD-vance ADHD & Autism Trust for one of their All Aboard Fun Days on Saturday, September 8.
The trust’s director Anne Ross said: “I was delighted when the society approached us and asked if our members would enjoy an afternoon out at the centre. We welcomed 195 visitors in total and they had a super time riding on and in the miniature trains.”
The charity were able to enjoy free rides on small-scale steam engines and diesels around the local countryside.
NLSME normally opens its miniature garden railway for the public twice a month.
ADD-vance member Leanne Kehoe thanked the society after she brought her two children: “It was fantastic to see so many of our members, especially our little ones, having fun and, more importantly, in an environment where no one was being judged.”
Les Dobbs, 91, is the oldest member of the NLSME and said he hoped they ‘put on a good show’ for the visitors.
He said: “I can’t believe how many people were here on the day, it was very busy and I’d like to think we were able to create nice memories for the visitors to take home with them.”
The ADD-vance ADHD & Autism Trust was founded in Hertfordshire in 1996 as a registered charity. It supports and trains families whose children have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The NLSME was founded in 1944 to promote model engineering and is headquartered in Finchley.
Its Colney Heath site is the base for the society’s boating lake, garden railway, raised and ground-level railways and has space for traction engines to run.
To find out more about the North London Society of Model Engineers, visit www.nlsme.co.uk/AboutUs.aspTo find out more about the ADD-vance ADHD & Autism Trust, visit www.add-vance.org
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here