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History & Impact

The Owl Centre Charity officially opened in September 2020.

Prior to that, we had been working with VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas), Saigon Children’s Charity, Ananya Trust, (Hyderabad, India) and other smaller companies / charities in India, UK and Sri Lanka since 2009.

History of The Owl Centre Charity

Origins

  • Although The Owl Centre Charity was formally established later, its roots go back to at least 2009
  • During this period, clinicians linked to The Owl Centre were already:
    • Working with organisations such as VSO and Saigon Children’s Charity
    • Delivering training and support internationally (e.g. Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, UK)
  • These early projects focused on:
    • Supporting children with additional needs (including autism and ADHD)
    • Training local professionals, especially special school teachers
    • Building sustainable, “train-the-trainer” models in communities

Foundation of the charity (2020)

  • The Owl Centre Charity was:
    • Formally incorporated and registered on 11 September 2020 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). It seemed fitting that the date coincided with the untimely passing of one of Nicola’s treasured colleagues, Susie Fuller who she worked extensively with in Oxfordshire NHS.
    • Officially opened in September 2020.
  • It was established as the charitable ‘wing’ of The Owl Centre Ltd (– excuse the pun)

Purpose at launch

The charity was created to

  • Provide psychoeducation, training, and specialist resources
  • Support neurodivergent individuals (e.g. autism, ADHD) and their families
  • Deliver work both in the UK and internationally

Early model and approach

From the outset, the charity adopted a distinct delivery model:

  • Needs-led approach: identifying requirements within each community
  • Partnership-based delivery: working with local charities and stakeholders
  • Bespoke programmes: tailoring interventions to specific contexts
  • Clinical outreach: sending multidisciplinary clinicians to deliver training
  • Sustainability focus: upskilling local professionals to embed long-term change

International projects were

  • Delivered pro bono by clinicians
  • Funded through grants or fundraising for travel and subsistence

Development and growth (2020–present)

Since its launch, the charity has evolved into a broader support and education platform:

Core areas of work:

  • Psychoeducation and training for:
    • Families
    • Schools and professionals
  • Development of:
    • Workshops and conferences
    • Online resources and digital support tools
  • International outreach and partnerships

Expanding impact

Governance

  • Operates as a CIO governed by a constitution adopted in September 2020
  • Led by a board of trustees and CEO (Nicola Lathey)

Relationship to The Owl Centre

  • The charity is closely linked to the wider The Owl Centre clinical organisation, which:
    • Began in 2011 as a speech and language therapy service before expanding into a nation-wide autism and ADHD assessment service – www.theowl.org
  • This clinical base provides:
    • Access to a large multidisciplinary workforce
    • The expertise underpinning the charity’s programmes

Summary

In simple terms:

  • 2009–2019: Informal international charitable work begins through The Owl Centre
  • September 2020: The Owl Centre Charity is formally established and registered
  • 2020–present: Rapid growth into a structured charity delivering:
    • UK and international training
    • Psychoeducation and resources
    • Innovative support programmes for neurodivergent individuals and families

Our Approach

  1. Determining the needs of the local community
  2. Identifying the most relevant source of delivery which is usually via local partners / charities / stakeholders.
  3. Creating bespoke packages.
  4. Deploying clinicians to deliver interventions where needed.
  5. Identifying key staff locally who can help disseminate the information into the community or help to train the trainer whilst depending on their local knowledge and expertise to make self-sustaining changes.

For international projects, our clinicians volunteer their time pro bono, with expenses such as flights, accommodation, and sustenance covered by the charity.

Our Impact

We have a documented track record of success, with all previous projects showing substantial outcomes. Our work has led to improved quality of life for children and families, with participants actively sharing their newly acquired knowledge and skills into their local communities.