Hana Rajabally meets new Mill Hill community interest company, Shynne

Young people at computer gaming event — Young people at a gaming event – (Credit – Shynne)

A new social enterprise in Mill Hill which works to provide support to young people with ADHD and autism is celebrating its launch with an gaming event this month.

Shynne is a community interest company which was set up five months ago by Marlon Huggins with a mission of helping to build confidence, social and work skills in young adults with autism and ADHD through a variety of different programmes including graphic design training, arts and crafts, cooking activities, speed dating events and gaming events.

Huggins set up Shynne after witnessing his sister Sherelle’s struggles with her low-functioning autism, which limited her ability to enjoy a social life and connect with others based on her interests.

Asked why he set up Shynne, Huggins said: “It’s a personal story for me. I have two sisters who are autistic, one is high functioning and one is low functioning. I’m always saddened to see Sherelle when I visit because she doesn’t get to enjoy the social life that her sister Shereene has.”

Huggins tried to enrol Sherelle into a community programme that could help someone with her level of autism, but he couldn’t find anything. That’s why he decided to set up Shynne.

“Sherelle loves retro games and all the stats. She’s really into art. These are all things she’d like to do but doesn’t feel comfortable doing with other people who aren’t like her.

“She’s a secret mascot for Shynne, a lot of it’s based on her.”

Sherelle Modeste-Ross said: “I wish I had more confidence but my autism prevents me from doing most things I enjoy in life. The one blessing I have with autism is that I feel it has made me more creative. Activities such as gaming events and arts and crafts appeal to me, and being a community programme that does things like that excites me.”

The free community gaming event will contain a variety of different games including video games on PS3, PS4 and PS5 as well as Xbox, Ninetendo and GameCube, alongside a number of different board games.

The launch gaming event, which will also include free food, will take place on Saturday 19th October from 12-3pm at Mill Hill East Church, Salcombe Gardens NW7 2NT.

Shynne is working with a gaming company to provide big screens for the event, and they have also received donations for other consoles.

The event will also feature speakers who will share their story on living with autism or their experience with family members who have autism. Surveys will also be taken at the event to gather more information about the lived experience of those with autism and ADHD in north London.

Looking ahead to the future, Huggins said: “We want to start small in north-west London and then definitely want to branch out.

“Of those diagnosed with autism within the UK population, 71% said social services weren’t doing enough to help them,” Huggins told Barnet Post, referencing the findings of the inquiry into the impact of the Autism Act published in September 2019 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA) and the National Autistic Society.

“We want to create a community for people with Autism, ADHD to feel safe and connect with people like themselves. We also want to create a space for carers who are often under strain.”

If you’d like to attend the free gaming event, please book a ticket here.

To find out more about Shynne’s programmes, visit: https://www.shynne.co.uk/

Promotional poster for Shynne gaming event

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