AFK (formerly Action For Kids) is a national charity supporting disabled children, young people and their families. We help prepare young people with learning disabilities and autism for life after school through our accredited education, training and work experience programmes. We also provide mobility equipment not available on the NHS to disabled children and young people up to age 25 across the UK.
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AFK (formerly Action For Kids) is a national charity supporting disabled children, young people and their families.
We help prepare young people with learning disabilities and autism for life after school through our accredited education, training and work experience programmes.
We also provide mobility equipment not available on the NHS to disabled children and young people up to age 25 across the UK.
About our programmes
Mobility Equipment (up to age 25)
Through our Mobility Equipment Scheme, we are able to provide specialist mobility equipment not available on the NHS. We accept applications for mobility equipment from (or on behalf of) children and young people up to their 25th birthday.
Mobility is about more than movement
The right piece of equipment can mean the difference between playing with friends or being left out; continuing your studies or being held back; living on your own or relying on family, friends and carers.
Changing lives
The mobility equipment we provide doesn’t just help children and young people with disabilities move more easily – it allows them to build muscle strength, play safely, socialise with their peers, access education and employment opportunities, gain confidence and become more independent. In short, this equipment changes lives.
Learn more about our Mobility Equipment Scheme
Life and Work (age 19-25)
Our Life and Work Programme is for disabled young people aged 19 and over, who want to live more independently and move into paid employment.
Travel training
Trainees participate in supported travel training so they can travel independently to and from work on public transport.
Work placements
Our team of job coaches arrange work placements where trainees can try different types of work while improving their skills.
Paid employment
Our ultimate goal is to help young disabled people into paid employment that they enjoy. We have been running our employability programmes since 2013, and 88% of my AFK trainees who got paid work through our placements in 2018 were still in employment a year later.
Learn more about our Life and Work Programme
Aspire to Work
The Aspire to Work Programme builds the foundation of learning about employment while students are still in school, looking at different career options to start thinking about the future and providing opportunities for students to build connections with professionals outside their usual networks.
Each programme is specifically designed to achieve the Gatsby benchmarks for schools. Additionally, to help students with disabilities and neurodiverse students to develop the skills, self-belief, and aspirations needed for future success.
AFK partners with schools and local educators in order to help provide a tailored support package to compliment and develop the exisiting curriculum.
Learn more about our Aspire to Work project
Advocacy (all ages)
As young people develop and increasingly form their own views, they should be more involved in making decisions about their future. At AFK we work to help all the young people we support develop the skills and confidence to speak up and advocate on their own behalf. Our passion for advocacy and self-advocacy is woven throughout everything we do.
Making your voice heard
We want to make sure that everyone who comes to AFK has the support they need to speak up about their interests and needs, and to challenge anything they think is wrong.
We want young people at AFK to:
- Feel respected and listened to
- Know that they have a choice about what they learn and how they learn
- Know where to go for additional support if needed