Dave Courtney

Dave Courtney was appointed as a patron of AIM in February 2020.

Dave is a perfect role model as he is neurodivergent himself. We are not the first organisation he has been patron to; Dave was patron to an ADHD charity called Misunderstood in Rochester for ten years. Dave also used to do talks on ADHD in schools, advising parents to be sure medication and/or support was in place for children and teens before they reach the age of sixteen, because once they do they are imprisonable.

Due to a lack of support, our autistic and ADHD teens are especially vulnerable to peer group pressure. They may join gangs or be more of a target for drug dealers and groomers. Dave has also said that many of his friends have said to him ADHD is what they ‘had’, but no-one knew what it was when they were younger so they were just labelled bad or disruptive. He has lived experience of what can happen if an ADHD individual is not supported, and he wants to work and use that knowledge to support autistic and ADHD people. We are proud to have him as our patron and will be looking forward to working with him.