Youth groups
It’s hard to imagine life without youth group. There has always been people to talk to if I am having a rough time, and I have made a lot of lifelong friends along the way.
- Young person
Who is youth group for?
Our Youth Groups are specifically for young people who are autistic without a Learning Disability because there are few opportunities for these young people to find a suitable peer group. If this does not suit your child please see the Other Groups section at the end of the page.
Our youth groups are available to young people who are:
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aged 8-25 years,
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have a diagnosis of autism/autism spectrum or are awaiting an autism assessment, and
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do not have a Learning Disability, and
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live in Oxfordshire or surrounding areas. [If an activity is overbooked, we reserve the right to prioritise families living in Oxfordshire].
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can safely attend a social group with the stated staff:child ratio (do not typically require 1:1 support)
The groups
About
Our youth groups are autism-friendly, fun and a safe place for young people to be themselves, meet other young people, chill out, and make friends.
Each group runs weekly during school term-time only.
We focus on chilling out, being comfortable in a social setting, and participating in activities together.
Activities include board / card games, arts & crafts, sports/active games, gaming, cooking, or just chilling and chatting. We like the young people to get involved with sharing ideas and their feedback, and the adult group can get involved with running the sessions. Occasionally there are optional off-site activities which are agreed by the group. Previous trips have included the cinema, bowling, meals out/dessert café, laser tag, theatre, and theme parks.
Our experienced and friendly staff encourage and support members to interact with each other, participate in activities, and make friends. Each group is staffed by at least two staff and additional support provided by volunteers.
Our youth groups make a huge and positive difference to young people’s mood, self-esteem, mental health, confidence, and social life. Most young people love youth group and never want to leave!
Youth Group is the highlight of my week
- Youth group member
Costs
Youth group places are charged at a monthly fee of £50 per month, per young person. The fee is only payable when we have agreed your membership and the start date.
We are a small charity and rely on these fees to run the youth groups. This fee is compulsory for every young person attending a youth group:
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£50 per month, per young person.
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Payment must be paid by a bank transfer via a standing order.
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If you require more than one youth group place, then the fee must be paid for each person.
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The fee is payable every month, including during school holidays, to ensure we cover our monthly costs throughout the year.
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Failure to pay the fee will result in membership being removed.
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The above applies to all our youth groups.
Concessions: We have a very limited number of spaces available at a reduced rate of £30 per month per young person, for families on low income. These spaces are only available when we have availability and at our discretion, therefore, we can not guarantee a place, and you will be added to a waiting list. You can request a reduced rate in the application form.
Apply to join
We encourage all young people who meet the criteria to apply. We especially encourage applications for young people who are isolated or do not attend any other social activities. We know a youth group may seem daunting, but before a new member joins we will discuss how we can support them to gradually settle into youth group.
Please note:
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Places are limited.
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Waiting list: There is usually a waiting list.
UPDATE Sept 2025: There is a waiting list for the 18-25s group only (other groups have spaces).
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Early applications: If a child is younger than the youth group’s age range, an application will only be accepted up to 6 months early. For example, if the age range is 8-12 years old, the earliest an application form can be submitted is when the child is 7 years and 6 months.
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Places must be agreed by us before the young person attends a youth group.
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All places are subject to availability, eligibility criteria, and staffing.
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A separate application form must be completed for each young person.
1) If the young person is not registered with us
If the young person is not registered with us, then please complete an initial Registration Form.
If the young person is already registered with us, please submit a Youth Group Application Form - see below.
2) Submit an application form
Please complete the online Youth Group Application Form.
After you have submitted your application form
We will save your application and add you to the waiting list. We will only contact you when a space becomes available at the youth group. We expect to receive a lot of applications, so please be patient with us – there may be a long wait.
When a place becomes available, we will contact the parent/carer to discuss the application and, if needed, may arrange to meet the young person.
If a placement is suitable, we will agree a start date and the young person will join initially on a trial period.
If you have queries about our youth groups please email us at youthgroups@afso.org.uk
Other Groups
If our youth groups do not suit your child please see Oxfordshire’s Family Information Service Directory for details of other organisations.