Parents and carers of children with autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions can attend free support sessions at Alt Community Centre in Oldham from next month.

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) has teamed up with community organisation Calm Ahead to run three Youth Connect 5 courses between November and March. The NHS, Oldham Council and other partners have paid for the programme, and FCHO is letting the Cherry Avenue centre be used at no cost.

The courses are intended to help parents and carers understand neurodiversity better, support their emotional wellbeing, learn practical approaches to helping their children and meet others in similar circumstances.

Ghazalla Iqbal, project and partnerships officer at FCHO, said: "FCHO is pleased to use this community space and its strong partnerships to deliver this specialist support in our communities that will help residents and our customers." She added that the help is close to home and should remove barriers to support.

Jenny Eastwood, director of Calm Ahead CIC, said: "Calm Ahead is grateful to have received the funding to deliver this course. We understand the challenges many parents experience and have seen the positive impact this support can have on families."

The first course runs on Mondays from 2 November to 30 November, 10.30am to 12.30pm at Alt Community Centre, Cherry Avenue. The second is online on Thursdays from 14 January to 11 February, 5.30pm to 7.30pm. The third runs on Tuesdays from 23 February to 23 March, 12.30pm to 2.30pm at Alt Community Centre.