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Services & Events

Places and spaces for autistic women, girls and non-binary people

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Movement is
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SWAN Places

SWAN Places are in-person social meet-up groups in locations across Scotland. They are autistic spaces, run by autistic volunteers.

These local groups are relaxed and laid-back gatherings for all women (both cis and trans) and non-binary people who identify as autistic. 

They are safe and confidential spaces, facilitated by autistic volunteers.

SWAN Places are not structured support groups, but rather an opportunity to benefit from community and connection in an all-autistic space.

You can share, listen, or simply relax among like-minded peers who understand and support one another. 

Have a look at your local group below to find out more, and see the calendar for meeting dates.

You can contact our SWAN Places Meet-Up Volunteers if you have any questions - you'll find their emails under "How do I join?" 

You can also sign up to the SWAN mailing list for news and updates on all our groups.

Please read our Guidelines & Rules before you come along to any of our SWAN Places groups, to help ensure they are safe, supportive and friendly spaces. 

*Please always check the calendar before you go to a group as very occasionally we may have to change or cancel with short notice (only if unavoidable) and we will post any changes here.


Aberdeen: Meet-Up

Ayr: Meet-Up

Borders: Meet-Up

Dumfries & Galloway: Meet-Up

Dundee: Meet-Up

Dundee: Wellbeing Walk

Dunfermline: Wellbeing Walk

East Lothian: Meet-Up

Edinburgh: Meet-Up

Edinburgh: Royal Botanic Gardens Wellbeing Walk

Edinburgh: Water of Leith Wellbeing Walk

Falkirk: Meet-Up

Fife: Meet-Up

Fife: Wellbeing Walk

Girvan: Wellbeing Walk

Glasgow: Book Club

Glasgow: Bridgeton Meet-up

Glasgow: Queen’s Park Meet-up

Glasgow: Queen’s Park Wellbeing Walk

Glasgow: West End Meet-up

Lanarkshire: Wellbeing Walk

Linlithgow: Wellbeing Walk

Moray: Wellbeing Walk

Musselburgh: Wellbeing Walk

Oban and Lorn: Wellbeing Walk

Shetland: Meet-Up

Stirling: Meet-Up

Stirling: Wellbeing Walk

West Lothian: Meet-Up

We’re working on setting up groups in other areas - if you’re interested in volunteering at an existing group, or helping set one up in your area, visit our Volunteer page.

August 2026
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12th

Ayr Meet-Up

SWAN Places
12 Aug, 18:00 - 19:00
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12th

Glasgow Queen's Park Meet-Up

SWAN Places
12 Aug, 18:30 - 20:00
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15th

Glasgow Queen's Park Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
15 Aug, 12:00 - 13:00
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17th

Falkirk Meet-Up

SWAN Places
17 Aug, 16:30 - 18:00
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18th

Glasgow Bridgeton Meet-Up

SWAN Places
18 Aug, 13:30 - 15:00
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18th

Stirling Meet-Up

SWAN Places
18 Aug, 17:00 - 18:30
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20th

Glasgow West End Meet-Up

SWAN Places
20 Aug, 13:30 - 15:00
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21st

Dunfermline Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
21 Aug, 11:00 - 12:00
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23rd

Musselburgh Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
23 Aug, 14:00 - 15:00
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27th

Shetland Meet-Up

SWAN Places
27 Aug, 18:00 - 20:00
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27th

Glasgow Queen's Park Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
27 Aug, 18:00 - 19:00
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28th

Dundee Meet-Up

SWAN Places
28 Aug, 15:00 - 17:00
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29th

Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
29 Aug, 12:00 - 13:00
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30th

Girvan Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
30 Aug, 11:00 - 12:00
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30th

Linlithgow Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
30 Aug, 11:30 - 12:30
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31st

Dumfries & Galloway Meet-Up

SWAN Places
31 Aug, 10:30 - 12:00
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31st

East Lothian Meet-Up

SWAN Places
31 Aug, 18:00 - 19:30
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September 2026
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1st

West Lothian Meet-Up

SWAN Places
1 Sep, 17:30 - 19:00
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1st

Stirling Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
1 Sep, 17:30 - 18:30
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3rd

Fife Meet-Up

SWAN Places
3 Sep, 17:00 - 18:30
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5th

Edinburgh Water of Leith Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
5 Sep, 10:00 - 11:00
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5th

Moray Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
5 Sep, 10:30 - 11:30
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5th

Oban and Lorn Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
Ganavan Sands - 5 Sep, 11:00 - 12:00
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5th

Aberdeen Meet-Up

SWAN Places
5 Sep, 11:30 - 13:00
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9th

Ayr Meet-Up

SWAN Places
9 Sep, 18:00 - 19:00
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9th

Glasgow Queen's Park Meet-Up

SWAN Places
9 Sep, 18:30 - 20:00
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13th

Edinburgh Meet-Up

SWAN Places
13 Sep, 14:00 - 16:00
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15th

Glasgow Bridgeton Meet-Up

SWAN Places
15 Sep, 13:30 - 15:00
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15th

Stirling Meet-Up

SWAN Places
15 Sep, 17:00 - 18:30
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17th

Glasgow West End Meet-Up

SWAN Places
17 Sep, 13:30 - 15:00
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18th

Dunfermline Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
18 Sep, 11:00 - 12:00
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19th

Lanarkshire Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
19 Sep, 11:00 - 12:00
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19th

Glasgow Queen's Park Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
19 Sep, 12:00 - 13:00
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21st

Falkirk Meet-Up

SWAN Places
21 Sep, 16:30 - 18:00
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24th

Shetland Meet-Up

SWAN Places
24 Sep, 18:00 - 20:00
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24th

Glasgow Queen's Park Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
24 Sep, 18:00 - 19:00
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25th

Dundee Meet-Up

SWAN Places
25 Sep, 15:00 - 17:00
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26th

Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
26 Sep, 12:00 - 13:00
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27th

Girvan Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
27 Sep, 11:00 - 12:00
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27th

Linlithgow Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
27 Sep, 11:30 - 12:30
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27th

Musselburgh Wellbeing Walk

SWAN Places
27 Sep, 14:00 - 15:00
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28th

Dumfries & Galloway Meet-Up

SWAN Places
28 Sep, 10:30 - 12:00
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28th

East Lothian Meet-Up

SWAN Places
28 Sep, 18:00 - 19:30
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SWAN Spaces

SWAN Spaces are regular online groups and events. They are safe, friendly autistic-only spaces, led by autistic staff and volunteers.


In SWAN Spaces, you are free to participate as little or as much as you feel comfortable - talk, join in the text chat, read the closed captions, stim, bring your pets along, wrap yourself in a cosy blanket, or just watch and listen with your camera on or off.

Friends and allies, families and carers, and professionals and practitioners who do not identify as autistic but want to learn more about autistic women (both cis and trans), girls and non-binary people are warmly welcomed to specific events only, where stated in the event description.

All of our online events are held on Zoom and you can book a place via Eventbrite.

Have a look at our SWAN Spaces groups below to find out more and see the calendar for meeting dates.


Autistic Identity (Previously Post Diagnosis Group)

Autistic Discovery (Previously Pre-Diagnosis Group)

Autistic Parents & Carers Peer Support

Highlands and Islands Peer Support

Queer Peer Support

Students Peer Support

Sunday Peer Support

Tuesday Peer Support

Body Doubling

Crafting Social

Wellbeing Webinars

Online Peer Support Forum

Sign up to the SWAN mailing list for news and updates on all our groups.

August 2026
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11th

Tuesday Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 11 Aug, 18:00 - 19:00
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13th

Autistic Identity Group: Thursdays Week 2

SWAN Spaces
Online - 13 Aug, 11:30 - 13:00
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Week 2 of our Autistic Identity Group (previously Post-Diagnosis Group)

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm via ZOOM

Book your place through our Eventbrite. Booking will open 4.00pm on 9th July 2026.

Dates for this course are:

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 6th August, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 13th August 11:30-1pm

Thurs 20th August , 11:30-1pm

Thurs 27th August,11:30-1pm

Thurs 3rd September, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 10th September, 11:30-1pm

For more information on our Autistic Identity group please watch our information video or contact info@swanscotland.org

13th

Queer Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 13 Aug, 18:00 - 19:00
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16th

Sunday Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 16 Aug, 15:00 - 16:00
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17th

Body Doubling

SWAN Spaces
Online - 17 Aug, 18:00 - 19:00
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20th

Autistic Identity Group: Thursdays Week 3

SWAN Spaces
Online - 20 Aug, 11:30 - 13:00
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Week 3 of our Autistic Identity Group (previously Post-Diagnosis Group)

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm via ZOOM

Book your place through our Eventbrite. Booking will open 4.00pm on 9th July 2026.

Dates for this course are:

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 6th August, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 13th August 11:30-1pm

Thurs 20th August , 11:30-1pm

Thurs 27th August,11:30-1pm

Thurs 3rd September, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 10th September, 11:30-1pm

For more information on our Autistic Identity group please watch our information video or contact info@swanscotland.org

20th

Webinar - Creative Writing for Neuro-Affirming Self-Acceptance with Kate Fox

SWAN Spaces
Online - 20 Aug, 18:00 - 19:30
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About this Webinar

In this webinar Kate Fox will facilitate some creative writing exercises using poems by neurodivergent writers such as Joanne Limburg as prompts and share some reflections on how online writing spaces can be a type of Neurodivergent Affirming Space. Alongside Dr Helen Kara & George Watts, Kate Fox has recently completed a research project to define Neurodiversity Affirming Spaces and will share some of her research poems during this session.

More About Our Speaker: Kate Fox

Kate Fox is a stand-up poet, spoken word artist and broadcaster. She is a regular contributor to Radio 4's spoken word cabaret “The Verb”, has made two comedy series for Radio 4, was a judge for the 2023 Forward Prizes for poetry, been Poet in Residence for the Glastonbury Festival and the Great North Run and completed a PhD in stand-up comedy.

She is the author of “Where There’s Muck There’s Bras: True Stories of the North of England’s Women” published by Harper North, and poetry collections including "On Sycamore Gap" (Harper North, 2024), "Bigger On the Inside" (Smokestack Books, 2024) and "The Oscillations" (Nine Arches Press, 2021). She is also a neurodivergent advocate whose latest show “Bigger on the Inside" explores neurodiversity through the lens of Doctor Who.

Kate Fox, Stand Up Poet, Writer, Broadcaster – conversations about Northernness, neurodiversity and the now

@katefoxwriter

linktr.ee/katefoxwriter

Book

20th

Autistic Parents & Carers Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 20 Aug, 19:00 - 20:30
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27th

Autistic Identity Group: Thursdays Week 4

SWAN Spaces
Online - 27 Aug, 11:30 - 13:00
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Week 4 of our Autistic Identity Group (previously Post-Diagnosis Group)

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm via ZOOM

Book your place through our Eventbrite. Booking will open 4.00pm on 9th July 2026.

Dates for this course are:

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 6th August, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 13th August 11:30-1pm

Thurs 20th August , 11:30-1pm

Thurs 27th August,11:30-1pm

Thurs 3rd September, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 10th September, 11:30-1pm

For more information on our Autistic Identity group please watch our information video or contact info@swanscotland.org

31st

Highlands and Islands Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 31 Aug, 18:00 - 19:00
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September 2026
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1st

Autistic Discovery Group

SWAN Spaces
Online - 1 Sep, 18:00 - 19:30
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3rd

Autistic Identity Group: Thursdays Week 5

SWAN Spaces
Online - 3 Sep, 11:30 - 13:00
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Week 5 of our Autistic Identity Group (previously Post-Diagnosis Group)

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm via ZOOM

Book your place through our Eventbrite. Booking will open 4.00pm on 9th July 2026.

Dates for this course are:

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 6th August, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 13th August 11:30-1pm

Thurs 20th August , 11:30-1pm

Thurs 27th August,11:30-1pm

Thurs 3rd September, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 10th September, 11:30-1pm

For more information on our Autistic Identity group please watch our information video or contact info@swanscotland.org

7th

Crafting Social

SWAN Spaces
Online - 7 Sep, 19:00 - 20:00
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8th

Tuesday Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 8 Sep, 18:00 - 19:00
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10th

Autistic Identity Group: Thursdays Week 6

SWAN Spaces
Online - 10 Sep, 11:30 - 13:00
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Week 6 of our Autistic Identity Group (previously Post-Diagnosis Group)

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm via ZOOM

Book your place through our Eventbrite. Booking will open 4.00pm on 9th July 2026.

Dates for this course are:

This group runs for six weeks on Thursdays, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 6th August, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 13th August 11:30-1pm

Thurs 20th August , 11:30-1pm

Thurs 27th August,11:30-1pm

Thurs 3rd September, 11:30-1pm

Thurs 10th September, 11:30-1pm

For more information on our Autistic Identity group please watch our information video or contact info@swanscotland.org

10th

Queer Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 10 Sep, 18:00 - 19:00
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17th

Webinar - Autistic Friendships with Marion McLaughlin

SWAN Spaces
Online - 17 Sep, 18:30 - 20:00
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Book your place via Eventbrite. Booking opens Mon 10th August, 16:00

About this Webinar

Navigating friendships as an Autistic person can sometimes be difficult. Join Marion McLaughlin as we explore where we find friends, friendship dynamics, red and green flags, and creating safe boundaries.

More About Our Speaker: Marion McLaughlin

Marion McLaughlin is the Managing Director & Founder of Aurora Autistic Consulting, having founded it in early 2024 after a career as a Primary Teacher and Autistic charity CEO.

They write and deliver training, create bespoke packages of support for Aurora’s clients and oversee day to day operations. Marion was identified as Autistic in 2018 and set up Autistic Pride Aberdeen in the same year. Marion works with a dedicated team of Autistic people to host Autistic Pride events both online and in NE Scotland.

When not working, Marion can often be found watching Star Trek or walking through forests with their family.

Aurora Autistic Consulting - operating across the UK

Facebook

Instagram

https://www.linkedin.com/compa...

Marion McLaughlin | LinkedIn

Book

17th

Autistic Parents & Carers Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 17 Sep, 19:00 - 20:30
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20th

Sunday Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 20 Sep, 15:00 - 16:00
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21st

Body Doubling

SWAN Spaces
Online - 21 Sep, 18:00 - 19:00
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28th

Highlands and Islands Peer Support

SWAN Spaces
Online - 28 Sep, 18:00 - 19:00
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October 2026
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5th

Autistic Discovery Group

SWAN Spaces
Online - 5 Oct, 13:00 - 14:30
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