Walking group supports women with ADHD

Mia Oldroyd said the 'unmasked walks' provide a safe space for women looking for support on their ADHD journey

With more than 300,000 adults in England currently waiting for ADHD assessments and many unable to afford a private diagnosis, a life coach is offering a different kind of support for women who suspect they have the condition.

Mia Oldroyd, who is neurodivergent, has created "unmasked walks" to give women the chance to get together, enjoy nature, share experiences, and explore new ways to understand and cope with ADHD.

The BBC joined a walk in Hudswell, near Richmond, on an autumn morning.

"I think it's just really nice to have people around you who listen," said Ms Oldroyd, who is also an ADHD coach.

"Time outside with people who listen to you and understand you is the most healing and rewarding thing."

The women are exploring new ways to understand and cope with ADHD

At the end of June 2025, two thirds of adults referred for an ADHD assessment had been waiting for more than a year and of those, half had been waiting more than two years.

ADHD - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder - affects the way the brain works and can cause people to act impulsively and become easily distracted. It is thought to affect 5% of children and 3-4% of adults.

The BBC has identified 15 local areas that have closed waiting lists, including Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, and another 31 which have introduced tighter criteria, making it more difficult to access support.

'Don't fit in'

While Ms Oldroyd's walks don't provide an alternative to official diagnosis or medical intervention, she said she wants to offer support for women while they wait.

"There's a gap that hasn't been bridged and these sessions allow a safe space for people to just really connect, feel seen and heard, without the extreme cost or the waiting, or the isolation."

Ms Oldroyd added: "These sessions offer a time for light reflection around acceptance and unmasking. You don't need to talk, share or socialise if you don't want to. You can just exist."

Becky Gatenby has been waiting more than two years for an ADHD assessment

One of the walkers, Becky Gatenby, said she had been on the waiting list "for a couple of years", has seen different health professionals and more recently has been having one-to-one sessions with Ms Oldroyd.

She said: "We overthink. Your brain just scores a thousand times faster than other people. It's really nice to feel like you're accepted, like you're not the only one and that there are other people that have the same struggles as you."

The two-hour sessions include meditation and breathwork, a gentle walk and sometimes a cold water swim in the River Swale. They are open to women at any stage of their ADHD journey and also to women looking for support as a child or another relative waits for diagnosis.

Kate Carnegie-Brown said on the walks she can be herself knowing people won't judge her

Local farmer Kate Carnegie-Brown is also waiting to be assessed for ADHD. She said she can relax when she's on the unmasked walks rather than constantly thinking about how she's being, which she said is a struggle for a lot of people with ADHD.

She said: "Sometimes when you are a little bit different you feel like you don't fit in, but actually these walks might help people find the people that they fit with."

The women enjoy spending time in nature

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