Kasey Upton is a mum of three, a business owner and a community builder who is passionate about raising awareness and understanding of ADHD across the United Kingdom.

ADHD has affected several generations of Kasey’s family including herself and her children, which has given her a very personal understanding of both the challenges and the strengths that can come with thinking and learning differently.

Looking back at her school years many of the signs were clearly there but were never recognised at the time. School reports often repeated the same comments. She struggled to concentrate, found it hard to sit still, talked too much in class and constantly fidgeted. ADHD and dyslexia were both completely missed.

Like many people with ADHD, Kasey found the traditional school environment difficult and never considered herself academic. Those experiences helped shape her belief that success does not always come from fitting into one particular path. People learn in different ways and not everyone fits into the same box.

Despite struggling in school, Kasey later went on to build her own businesses and develop projects designed to support communities and create opportunities for others.

She is currently developing Small Business Directory™ a platform designed to support independent businesses and sole traders across the UK by giving them free advertising and greater visibility. The project is built around the belief that small businesses are the heart of our communities and deserve a place where people can easily discover and support them.

The directory will bring together many different industries in one place including food and drink, weddings, home and property, trades, services and local events. It will also include a What’s On guide to help people find activities and events happening in their local area. The platform is planned to include over 150 hubs and will also be available as an app.

Through her role as an ambassador for ADHD UK, Kasey hopes to help raise awareness, share her experiences and encourage greater understanding of ADHD.

ADHD UK receives no government funding and relies heavily on public support and fundraising to continue its work supporting people with ADHD across the country. As part of her ambassador role, Kasey plans to help raise awareness and funds for the charity through social media, community engagement and by speaking with local businesses about fundraising ideas, partnerships and sponsorship opportunities.

By sharing her story she hopes to show others who may have struggled in school or felt misunderstood that those experiences do not define what they are capable of achieving.

Kasey is looking forward to fundraising for ADHD UK, helping raise awareness and encouraging greater understanding and support for people with ADHD.