SAM DONAGHY

Charitable Youth Work

Suggested by Sharon Sharpe

With her husband Kelvin, Sam set up Equally Abled a dynamic community-driven organization dedicated to championing the rights and well-being of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) based at The Pad gaming café in Bodmin. Equally Abled was registered as a charity in 2024.

Sharon says, “Equally Abled provides a place where neurodivergent young people can come together to socialise, make friends, eat and play games together for free. Sam organises fundraising social events and activities for the charity and supports the young people in the Equally Abled community to run theatre, cinema and bingo nights and a gig club, in order to raise money themselves. Sam provides support for parents, employs young people, giving them confidence to go on to greater things including becoming policemen and dancers amongst other things.

Most importantly perhaps is that Sam has created a wonderfully safe environment where everyone is welcome and young people can come to relax, play and make friends. It’s a real lifeline! Since joining Equally Abled, my son has made so many friends, has grown in confidence and has a social life which he never had before. He can completely be himself in a place where there is no judgement and no one is left out. Sam is a champion of neurodivergent young people.”

@thepadbodmin