Community Guidelines for Participants of 

London Autism Group Charity –
Community Cafés, Activity Days & Social Events
 

We are proud to run inclusive, supportive events for autistic people and the wider neurodivergent community. Our community cafés, activity days and social gatherings are designed to be welcoming, safe, and positive spaces where everyone feels respected, valued, and heard.
 

This Memorandum of Understanding outlines what we ask of everyone who attends our events. By attending, you are agreeing to the following:
 

1. Respect and Kindness

• Treat everyone – attendees, staff, and volunteers – with kindness, patience, and respect.

• Listen to others and allow space for everyone to contribute, especially those who may find it harder to speak up.

• Avoid making critical, dismissive, or harmful remarks about other people or about autism and neurodivergence in general. We are a pro-neurodiversity space that advocates for the social model of disability, and we ask all attendees to honour that.

• If you strongly disagree with someone, that’s ok – but please try to express yourself calmly and in ways that are not attacking or dismissive.
   

2. Safe and Inclusive Communication

• Do not use language or express views that are abusive, discriminatory, or reasonably likely to cause distress (this includes views around race, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, and identity).

• Please remember that children and young people may be present. Language and topics should always be appropriate for a mixed-age environment.

• Many of our participants are extremely vulnerable, even if this isnot immediately visible. Emotional and psychological safety is just as important as physical safety.

• We understand that some people experience distress and mental health challenges. If you are feeling overwhelmed or upset, please speak to a member of staff or take some time out quietly.

• Everyone is entitled to their own views and personal experiences. You are welcome to share your perspective, but no one should pressure, confront, or challenge others for holding different opinions, especially in ways that feel forceful or intimidating.

• Avoid confrontational or ideological debates, especially around controversial topics. Our events are not spaces for debating the legitimacy of people’s identities, personal experiences, or rights. Topics related to gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or politics must be approached with extreme sensitivity and only if they are directly relevant and welcome in the moment.

• Repeatedly raising contentious or distressing topics (even if not intended to offend) can harm others and compromise the inclusive nature of our space. If in doubt, it's best not to bring it up.

• We reject gatekeeping around identity. No one should be challenged or invalidated for how they describe or understand their neurodivergence or identity. Whether someone has a formal diagnosis or not, they are welcome to self-identify and be accepted fully here.

• Participants who frequently raise triggering or controversial views in a way that affects the wellbeing of others may be asked not to return.
   

3. Sharing Space and Expressing Yourself

• Try to respect other people’s physical boundaries and personal space.
  This includes allowing people to finish ongoing conversations before interrupting. 

• Do not touch others without their clear consent. Physical contact, however well-meaning, may cause distress or trigger trauma responses in others. Always assume others prefer no contact unless they initiate or explicitly agree.

• Safeguarding is a collective responsibility. If someone asks you to stop engaging, you must immediately respect that boundary. Continued unwanted interaction may result in removal from the event. We take reports of persistent boundary-crossing or behaviour that makes others feel unsafe extremely seriously.

• Allow event facilitators to support all participants fairly. Please avoid dominating conversations or seeking the full one-to-one attention from organisers, as this may prevent others from receiving the support they need.

• If you believe you will need a lot of one-to-one support, please speak to us in advance so we can explore what is possible.
   

4. Accountability and Learning Together

• We all make mistakes. If someone gives you gentle feedback about something you’ve said or done, we ask that you try to listen with an open mind.

• If your behaviour causes significant or ongoing concern, we may contact you to discuss it.

• If a participant has previously received a warning and further breaches occur, they may be excluded from future events. Safeguarding concerns may result in immediate suspension while we investigate.

• We reserve the right to ask someone not to attend further events if their presence is having a consistently negative impact.
   

5. A Community Built on Mutual Support

• We are a peer-led charity rooted in compassion, mutual understanding, and solidarity. We’re here to support one another, and that means holding ourselves – and each other – to a standard of care.

• If you feel uncomfortable or witness something that worries you, please speak to a member of the organising team in confidence.
  
   

Important note about
the limitations of support

Please be aware that our team are not trained mental health professionals or crisis workers. While we do our best to listen and signpost people to appropriate support, we cannot provide clinical or emergency mental health care. If you are in crisis, we strongly encourage you to contact your GP, local NHS services, or a mental health support charity like Mind or Samaritans.
 

We thank you for helping us make this a safe, uplifting, and empowering space for all.
 

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       The London Autism Group Charity Team