There was joy and, not least, great gratitude from the director of the ADHD association when she was informed that 'Fonden Sol og Strand by Margit og Kjeld' is donating 151,675 kroner to the association's work.

– This is a donation that means we can realize our project to hold 100 presentations with personal stories about ADHD at educational institutions, workplaces, schools, etc., says director Camilla Louise Ganzhorn.

Even though there is now considerable medical knowledge about ADHD, there is a great need to inform how it is practically experienced to live with the diagnosis. Therefore, the ADHD association has launched a project where a storytelling corps of volunteers shares their lives with ADHD.

– We currently have a storytelling corps with 34 volunteers who have been trained to give presentations. Our wish is to train an additional 15 volunteers for the corps, says Camilla Louise Ganzhorn.

– We are experiencing a very high demand both in terms of becoming part of the volunteer storytelling corps and in terms of getting the stories shared at, among other places, boarding schools, workplaces, and educational institutions.

The ADHD association was established in 1982 and works to ensure that it is the person and not the diagnosis that governs choices, direction, and opportunities in life. In this regard, the stories are important, as they should help provide insight that ADHD varies from person to person.

– Our wish is to ignite a hope of optimism when one experiences that there are options for action, even if one has ADHD, says Camilla Louise Ganzhorn.

– We hope that our storytellers can inspire others who have ADHD or are relatives of someone with the diagnosis. They can share how they experience the diagnosis, where it hurts, and where it becomes difficult.

The director also hopes that the stories can help create more inclusivity from the outside world, as people gain a better understanding of the challenges but also the strengths that a person with ADHD possesses.

– There are high expectations for how one should behave and how one organizes oneself in a workplace. My hope is that these stories can help challenge the way workplaces and educational institutions are organized, so we ensure some frameworks and conditions in which people with ADHD can also thrive, says Camilla Louise Ganzhorn.

Important effort

The couple Margit and Kjeld Andersen established Sol og Strand Holiday Home Rental A/S in 1979. The couple has now transferred ownership to a foundation with the desire to both preserve and develop the business in Danish hands and to support charitable and local causes.

– It is gratifying for us that we can support an association like ADHD. We know that many children with the diagnosis struggle to complete primary school with an exam that grants access to further education. Therefore, it is important that we create understanding and insight into how we provide children with the most optimal conditions for learning, says Margit og Kjeld Andersen

In total, the foundation donated nearly three million kroner in 2023, and the expectation is that this amount will increase in the future.