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Services & Events

Spaces and places 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 and non-binary people who identify as autistic. 

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

There is no presentation, no set agenda and no obligation to participate. 

You can share, listen, or simply relax among like-minded peers who understand and support one another. 
 
Have a look at your local group to find out more, or contact our Social Meet-Up Volunteers if you have any questions - you'll find their emails under "How do I join?" 

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.

Social Meet-up: Aberdeen

Social Meet-up: Dumfries & Galloway

Social Meet-up: Dundee

Social Meet-up: Edinburgh

Social Meet-up:  Falkirk

Social Meet-up:  Fife

Social Meet-up:  Glasgow

Social Meet-up: Inverness

Social Meet-up: Stirling

Social Meet-up: West Lothian

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.

September 2023
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29th

Dundee Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
29 Sep, 14:00
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October 2023
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3rd

West Lothian Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
3 Oct, 17:30
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5th

Fife Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
5 Oct, 17:00
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7th

Aberdeen Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
7 Oct, 11:30
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8th

Edinburgh Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
8 Oct, 14:00
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16th

Falkirk Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
16 Oct, 16:30
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17th

Glasgow Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
17 Oct, 13:30
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17th

Stirling Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
17 Oct, 17:00
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27th

Dundee Social Meet-Up

SWAN Places
27 Oct, 14:00
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29th

Inverness Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
29 Oct, 14:00
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30th

Dumfries & Galloway Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
30 Oct, 10:30
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November 2023
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2nd

Fife Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
2 Nov, 17:00
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4th

Aberdeen Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
4 Nov, 11:30
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7th

West Lothian Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
7 Nov, 17:00
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12th

Edinburgh Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
12 Nov, 14:00
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21st

Glasgow Social Meet Up

SWAN Places, SWAN Spaces
21 Nov, 13:30
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21st

Stirling Social Meet up

SWAN Places
21 Nov, 17:00
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24th

Dundee Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
24 Nov, 14:00
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26th

Inverness Social Meet Up

SWAN Places
26 Nov, 14:00
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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.

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, 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 to find out more:

Art & Craft Group

Autistic Parents’ Space

Edinburgh Online Group

Neuroqueer Social (LGBTQIA+ Group)

Online Peer Support Forum

Post-Diagnosis Groups

Pre-Diagnosis Drop-Ins

Wellbeing Webinars

September 2023
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28th

Bendy Bodies; bendy brains – Implications from research Webinar

SWAN Spaces
Online - 28 Sep, 18:00 - 19:30
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We are delighted to be joined at our September webinar 'Bendy Bodies; Bendy Brains - Implications from Research by Dr Jessica Eccles 

Dr Eccles trained in medicine at University of Cambridge and University of Oxford and undertook combined clinical academic training in Psychiatry at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. As an MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow she completed her PhD in the relationship between joint hypermobility, autonomic dysfunction and psychiatric symptoms and is now a Clinical Senior Lecturer. 

Her interests are in the body-brain relationships in musculoskeletal conditions, particularly variant connective tissue, including anxiety, ADHD, Autism, ‘brain fog,’ and pain and fatigue. She holds a number of grants and was awarded a prestigious MQ Arthritis Research UK Fellows Award to conduct a randomised clinical trial of a new targeted treatment for anxiety in hypermobility and is currently working on a Dysautonomia International funded project to explore multi-model neural correlates of brain fog. 

Dr Eccles is a now a Clinical Senior Lecturer at Brighton and Sussex Medical School in the Department of Neuroscience. She is an adult liaison psychiatrist and consultant in the Sussex Neurodevelopmental Service and co-lead of their Neurodivergent Brain Body Clinic.

Now open for booking

Book

October 2023
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5th

Post Diagnosis Group Week 5

SWAN Spaces
Online - 5 Oct, 12:00 - 13:30
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For booking information please contact becky.choat@swanscotland.org

12th

Post Diagnosis Group Week 6

SWAN Spaces
Online - 12 Oct, 12:00 - 13:30
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For booking information contact becky.choat@swanscotland.org

12th

Neuroqueer social

SWAN Spaces
12 Oct, 18:30 - 19:30
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15th

Edinburgh Group online

SWAN Spaces
15 Oct, 15:00
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19th

Webinar - Touch and Intimacy with Nature A Creative and Sensory Anchor

SWAN Spaces
Online - 19 Oct, 17:30 - 19:00
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We live in an ecologically extractive culture, can we utilise touch to reconfigure that relationship? How might we connect more deeply with the natural world?

Participatory artist Clare Plumley will show us some of their touch focused artworks and open some space for us to discuss atypical sensory processing delights and anchors in relation to nature and art making.

She will then bring us an ecosomatic exploration (combo of ecotherapy and somatic experiencing) incorporating touch drawing and writing exercises.

This session is an exploration of what touch is for us, bringing us into our felt sense with the aim of increasing our sensitivity for and intimacy with the natural world.

If you are able please bring drawing or writing materials and something from nature.

Book

November 2023
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19th

Edinburgh Group Online

SWAN Spaces
19 Nov, 15:00
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21st

Glasgow Social Meet Up

SWAN Places, SWAN Spaces
21 Nov, 13:30
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