Support quality, independent, local journalism…that matters

From just £1 a month you can help fund our work – and use our website without adverts. Become a member today

After her son’s autism diagnosis aged two, a Caerphilly mum decided to do something to help families in their position.

Danielle Cullen set up Neuroguard – a group providing sessions for neurodivergent children and their parents across Caerphilly County Borough.

The sessions give the children the chance to engage with one another in a safe environment, while their parents can gather to share their stories and offer each other support and guidance.

The group has gone from strength-to-strength, and now has more than 600 members on its Facebook page. It has also started giving out awards, such as ‘Mother of the Month’, to its members.

Danielle’s initial plan was to open her very own play centre, but, unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, she was unable to get it off the ground.

Instead, she decided to start a fortnightly coffee morning, where parents and children could gather in a secure and inclusive environment.

The group holds the coffee mornings every other Monday at the Brewers Fayre in Crossways, near Gallagher Retail Park, as well as three to four monthly play sessions at different venues.

The venue is ideal for the group because it has both a restaurant and soft play.

These coffee mornings there have been an open space for parents to talk about things they couldn’t normally talk about, without the fear of being misunderstood.

Danielle praised Brewers Fayre and its staff for how welcoming and supportive they have been to the group: “Since we began the sessions at Brewers Fayre, I have to say that the staff there have been nothing short of amazing.

“The manager, Jordan Howells, and waitress Catherine Henderson have been excellent, and thanks to them, it has been somewhere all of us parents and our children can finally relax.”

Back in December, Jordan and Catherine organised an Additional Learning Needs (ALN) breakfast for the children, with Father Christmas in attendance.

“Tt was so special. Everyone loved it!” said Danielle. “That showed just how brilliant Jordan and Catherine have been.”

However, the restaurant is set to close, with parent company Whitbread shutting nearly 200 of its Brewers Fayre and Beefeater sites across the UK.

However, Danielle is hoping to find an alternative venue for her coffee mornings and play sessions going forward.