Kindred is a vibrant organisation which was founded by parents of children with disabilities in 1991.  We have been run by parents ever since.  We started as an information point at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh.  Many people remember that we were originally called the Special Needs Information Point (SNIP).  From 1991 – 2007 we were based at an office in Rillbank Terrace behind the hospital.  We are delighted that some of the original trustees and staff of SNIP are still closely involved in running Kindred. 

In 2007 we were successful in securing a Big Lottery Fund grant of almost £1,000,000 over five years.  The Lottery grant led to expanding the team to 14 members, including a team in Fife.  As our profile was increasing, we rebranded to Kindred in 2010 and opened a head office (Rutland Court Lane).  Kindred currently supports 800 – 900 families a year.  Most of the families that we support are from Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife although we support some families from across Scotland.

Our work at a national level has helped to develop the expertise of our service.

From 2014 – 2017 we ran a project in Glasgow and this has developed into a national project for children with very high level medical needs, The Exceptional Families Project (EFP).  EFP is run in partnership with the National Clinical Network for Children with Exceptional Healthcare Needs.  From 2015 - 2018 Kindred worked in partnership with Govan Law Centre to deliver the National Advocacy Service for ASN Tribunals.  In 2017 we worked with the CAMHS Learning Disability Network to evidence the need for specialist services for children with autism. 

2021 was an exciting year for us when we moved to the heart of the new Royal Hospital for Children and Young People where we have been provided with a four person office in the Family Support Corridor.  We also celebrated our 30th anniversary of Kindred providing vital support to families.