About The Awkward Social
The Awkward Social wasn't built in a boardroom. It was built on a BMX track, in a Fortnite lobby, at a Premier League match, and on a WhatsApp call with a group of autistic teenagers who just needed somewhere safe to be themselves.
Who's Behind It
My name is Dan. I'm a late diagnosed autistic adult — diagnosed at 50 after my son received his own diagnosis. I have a master's degree in psychobiology. I've been self employed for nearly thirty years. And I'm a dad to an autistic teenager who, like so many neurodivergent young people, needed a safe, regulated, genuinely fun place to connect with other people who get it. So I built one.
Why This Exists
For seven years I've been taking neurodivergent young people to Premier League football, Wembley, Twickenham, Formula E, NBA London and more. I've been running gaming nights five nights a week. I've been the trusted adult in the room — online and in real life — for young people who struggle to find their place in a world that wasn't designed for them.
What I've learned is this. The internet is an unsupervised playground. And neurodivergent young people are particularly vulnerable in unregulated online spaces — not because of who they are, but because of how those spaces are designed. The Awkward Social exists to change that.
Why We're Not a Charity
There are charities doing good work in this space. But the charity model has a ceiling. It constrains growth, limits impact, and spends as much energy on its own survival as on the people it serves.
The Awkward Social is an impact business. We charge fairly because that's what makes us sustainable. It's what allows us to pay our moderators properly, run real events, and keep growing. Because the problem we're solving is enormous. And enormous problems need structures that can actually scale.
Who We Are
Every member of The Awkward Social team holds an enhanced DBS check and full online safety training. Many of us are neurodivergent ourselves or are parents of neurodivergent young people. We don't just understand this community. We are this community.
Come and find us
Whether you're a parent looking for a safe space for your child, a neurodivergent young person looking for your people, or someone who wants to be part of what we're building — you're welcome here.