Our Mission

Our mission is to bring neurodivergent people together, to feel better.

Our Charitable Aims

So often, neurodivergent people can end up isolated and struggling with their mental health. We want to create a supportive and welcoming space to bring neurodivergent people together.

Our aims are:

• To promote social inclusion for neurodivergent people in Kent.

• To improve the mental health of neurodivergent people in Kent.

Our Core Values

At The ND Harbour, our core values shape our decision-making and define the culture we foster—for both our employees/volunteers and the people who use our services. These values guide our actions and interactions, ensuring we create a supportive, inclusive, and empowering environment.

Our core values are:

Unconditional Positive Regard: We embrace every individual who interacts with The ND Harbour—whether they are using our services, volunteering, or working with us. We respect all communication styles and approach every person with an assumption of good intentions, valuing their perspectives and contributions.

Autonomy: We believe that every service user, volunteer, and team member has the capacity to achieve their goals, given the right conditions. We aim to provide the freedom and support necessary for individuals to make their own decisions and navigate their journey in a way that aligns with their values and aspirations.

Healthy Boundaries: Understanding and respecting boundaries is fundamental to maintaining safety—both physically and mentally. We encourage service users, volunteers, and staff to be mindful of their personal boundaries, and we commit to being clear about our own, fostering an environment of mutual respect and safety.

Inclusivity: We are dedicated to ensuring that everyone who uses our services, or works and volunteers with us, feels truly included. This commitment extends to continuous evaluation of our accessibility—across physical spaces, communication methods, and service offerings—ensuring that people of all demographics and neurotypes are represented and welcome.

Curiosity (Always Learning): We recognize that our understanding of neurodiversity is constantly evolving. We remain open to new information, acknowledging that societal views and scientific knowledge may change over time. We approach every opportunity for learning with humility, embracing new perspectives—even when they challenge our previous beliefs.

Community: We believe in the power of connection. At The ND Harbour, we create a supportive, safe space where neurodivergent individuals can find their community, share experiences, and offer mutual support. We help one another thrive by fostering a culture of belonging and solidarity.

Our Ethos

We want our services to make a real and meaningful difference to individuals and the neurodivergent community in Kent. The way we do this, is by ensuring all our services are informed by three equally important areas of expertise:

· Lived experience – We recognise that unless a person is neurodivergent, they can never truly know what it is like to be neurodivergent. We also recognise that the experiences of people with different neurotypes will differ, as well as the experiences of people within one neurotype. The more input we can get from people with different experiences, the more useful and meaningful our services will be.

· Scientific evidence – Published, peer reviewed research undergoes scrutiny by the scientific community. Good research helps to inform decisions such as which services are beneficial for neurodivergent people; how best to adapt the environment; and suggestions to improve inclusive communication.

· Clinical/professional experience – Along with their specialist training, clinicians also develop a wealth of knowledge from their experience of doing what they do, day in, day out. We recognise that trained and experienced clinicians know a lot more than the average person about certain things that can be really helpful to us as neurodivergent people, and we value their expertise in the design and delivery of our services.