ADHD Foundation Umbrella Project returns to Liverpool’s Church Alley for the summer

Coloured umbrellas will be suspended high above Church Alley – celebrating and raising awareness of ADHD and neurodiversity.

A burst of colour will hit Liverpool city centre in time for summer, as the ADHD Foundation’s famous Umbrella Project returns for the third consecutive year (from Wednesday, June 12).

Back by popular demand, Church Alley (in front of the Bluecoat) will once again be glowing with bright reds, blues, greens and yellows, thanks to a canopy of dazzling, coloured, suspended umbrellas, part of an initiative to raise awareness – and celebrate – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism and neurodiversity.

Watch below as we unveiled last years display on Church Alley.

Devised by Liverpool-based ADHD Foundation – the largest user-led ADHD agency in Europe – each of the umbrellas have been signed and decorated by neurodiverse children from across the city, who have been asked to state their gifts, talents and abilities – their ‘super power’. The project aims to flip the disabling perception of neurodiverse individuals on its head, and instead, celebrate cognitive differences. Participating schools are St Cuthberts in Old Swan, Overchurch on the Wirral, and Archbishop Blanch in L7.

Thanks to the huge success of the Umbrella Project since its launch in 2017, the project will also launch in Heathrow’s Terminal 5 (June 11), marking the first time the artwork has been available to view in London or at an airport. It will also launch at BBC North at MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, later this month, where it debuted in 2018.

ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and dyspraxia all sit under the “umbrella” term of neurodiversity – hence the idea for Umbrella Project was born.

Dr Tony Lloyd, chief executive of ADHD Foundation, said:

“When we first launched this small project back in 2017, on a little known back street in Liverpool, we were unprepared for the massive impact it was going to have. In its short lifetime, the project has grown beyond all expectation, going viral on social media, attracting international media coverage, inspiring copycat projects around the world, and launching in other locations such as MediaCity, and for the first time in Heathrow this year.

“The campaign aims to celebrate the many strengths and advantages that come from thinking differently and perceiving the world differently, and raise awareness in order to reduce the stigma, myths and misconceptions associated with having these conditions, demonstrating how and why neurodiverse individuals contribute to our lives, our families and our economy.

“At school neurodiverse children can see themselves as somehow ‘less than’ or lacking in intelligence and employability. We want to change that with a curriculum for the 21st century that celebrates the gifts and talents of every neurodiverse individual, empowering and enabling the next generation of children.”

Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said:

“Once again this inspiring initiative returns to the city – and we should all be very proud of how much this Liverpool-created project has grown in such a short space of time. The Umbrella Project continues to spark an international conversation, which is crucial to the public’s understanding of neurodiversity.

“Liverpool City Council is fully committed to supporting the education, mental health and employability of neurodiverse people, as also demonstrated in our support for Neurodiversity Celebration Week last month. I have always said that I want Liverpool to be a neurodiversity-friendly city; a city which doesn’t discriminate, but instead supports, champions and celebrates those who think differently.”

For further information about the Umbrella Project and ADHD Foundation visit www.adhdfoundation.org.uk.