Notes from our CEO
As we come to the end of 2024, we’re looking back at another amazing year of donations and fundraising.
John Phillipson Chief Executive Officer
One thing I’m very conscious of is local authorities having fewer resources and less and less funding, with services being cut back as a result. So we at NEAS are stepping forward more to provide services to families who wouldn’t get them otherwise.
We could only do that with the charitable funds that we raise. We’re not funded for these family services and we don’t charge the local authorities for them –we rely on grants and donations.
Luckily, we are in a region that is fantastically generous, and I’m very grateful to the people of the North East who have helped with donations, fundraising and services in kind. It’s not just individuals, it’s also organisations like AESC who transformed our Emsworth school grounds and Nissan and NHS Business Services who sent volunteers to help on our New Warlands Farm site.
You can read about their magnificent efforts on pages 12-13, where we highlight what our supporters have done for us in 2024.
It’s only through them that we can offer the kind of family support services we do, with the reach they have. For example, we are employing a social worker across our two Teesside schools to support pupils’ families. We have around 20 extra children in our schools this academic year with an array of challenges, from deprivation and home circumstances through to the complexity of cooccurring conditions and a legacy of not having had the right support.
So the extra support is really necessary and we’re probably going to have to increase that kind of work over the next few years.
For that reason, our Christmas appeal this year aims to raise money to fund our toddler groups (see p. 8-9). These free groups are a lifeline for parents and their little ones, giving them a safe space to interact and to get advice from trained practitioners.
Each group costs around £5000 a year to run. We get short-term funding for them, but it’s always a challenge to keep that going and any money we raise will be a huge help. If you or your organisation could contribute to our Little Stars appeal in any way, we would be very grateful.
Next year will be the Society’s 45th anniversary (see p.6) – and will mark 20 years since I joined as chief executive. It has flashed past! When I started, the charity’s annual turnover was about £9 million and we had 360 staff. This year the turnover is £40 million and we have 1,200 staff.
It’s amazing how it has grown over the years, and it’s thanks to the values we have as an organisation, a brilliant staff team who developed our services, and the great support we’ve had from trustees and the people in our community.
For me, next year will be a chance to celebrate the years of commitment we’ve had from staff and families past and present and to thank the people across the region who have supported us. We couldn’t do this without you.
John Phillipson
Save the Dates
We’ve put together a list of festive events you don’t want to miss!
Look how far we’ve come!
NEAS will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year, and we’ve been digging through the archives to trace our remarkable history.
Little Stars: Christmas Appeal
Toddler groups run by NEAS provide a lifeline for families who may have nowhere else to turn to for support. Read more about how you can support our toddler groups through our Christmas appeal.
Sharing the love this Christmas
We can’t think of a better way to share the love this Christmas, than by gifting someone one of our products featuring Mackenzie Thorpe’s artwork.
Celebration of supporters
We’ve seen some amazing support so far this year, from marathon runners and endurance hikers, to artists and grassroots events organised by our staff.
Spotlight on… our toddler groups
Providing valuable support for families at a time of great need, our toddler groups offer a free service for parents and carers of autistic preschool children who are pre, during or post diagnosis.
Employee of the Quarter
Discover who we’re crowning our Employee of the Quarter.
Highlights of the Quarter
From our Walk to Acceptance success to new partnerships and more, it’s been another busy quarter for the Society.
410 9974
Save the Dates
Winter Fetes
Step into Christmas and browse the amazing products we have on sale handmade by the children, young people and adults across our services.
New Warlands Farm
30th November, 10am – 2pm
Kiora Hall
30th November, 11am – 3pm
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre
18th December, from 2pm
Tuesday 26th November
On your marks, get set…bake! Think you’ve got what it takes to be crowned Star Baker? Get together with family, friends and colleagues to whip up some sweet treats to raise funds and support our Christmas appeal.
Find out more at: www.ne-as.org.uk/Event/festivebakeoff
Thursday 12th December
Back - like Santa - by popular demand it’s our annual Jolly Jumper Day. To take part, you simply need to don your Christmas-themed garment and make a small donation to us when you do (we suggest £2 per person).
Find out more: www.ne-as.org.uk/Event/jollyjumperday
We’re on the countdown to Christmas and have a list of festive activities you don’t want to miss!
Host your own fun-raising event!
We’d love for you to support North East Autism Society this festive season - whether that’s by helping us to spread our message of autism acceptance, attending one of our festive events, purchasing some merchandise or doing some fundraising.
We know that Christmas can be a busy time though, and that not everyone can afford to give, which is why we have created three special Christmas packs. Free to download, the packs are filled with ideas and inspiration on how to get involved with NEAS and support autistic people and their families across the North East.
From our Festive Family Fun pack, designed to help families of autistic children navigate the holidays to our Festive Fundraising Pack, aimed at those who want to raise money in aid of NEAS, and our Teacher’s Christmas Toolkit, there is a way for everyone to engage with and support NEAS this Christmas.
Visit our website to download your pack today: www.ne-as.org.uk/festive-resources
Find out more about our upcoming events for 2025, including our Great North Run charity places at: ne-as.org.uk/events
Look how far we’ve come!
NEAS will celebrate its 45th anniversary next year, and we’ve been digging through the archives to trace our remarkable history.
We started with one school in Sunderland in 1980, bought and renovated by a group of parents desperate to get the right support for their autistic children.
From there we’ve grown into a region-wide organisation that supports 6,000 autistic people and their families a week and employs more than 1,200 staff.
It was made possible by the hard work of parents, the dedication of staff and the generosity of the people of the North East – and we hope to celebrate this in our anniversary events next year.
How we started (1980-1993)
Around 20 parents got together as the Tyneside Society for Autistic Children with the aim of setting up a specialist school in the North East.
Some were devasted that their own children had ended up in schools miles away from home – like Paul Shattock’s son Jamie, who was 250 miles away in Aberdeen.
“There was nothing in place for families like ours, so parents had to take up the baton,” Paul said.
They bought a derelict former Jewish school at Number 21 Thornhill Park in Sunderland for £25,000 and set about renovating it, using their own homes as security against loans and doing a lot of the work themselves.
The Sunderland public got firmly behind them, with everyone from Sunderland Football Club to local workingmen’s clubs raising thousands of pounds to help.
“I’m very proud of the community spirit. I don’t think you could have founded a school the way we did anywhere else in Britain,” Paul said.
Thornhill Park School opened in 1980 with a cohort of 12 pupils, including Paul’s son Jamie. It was the first residential school for autistic children in the country to be open all year round, and it soon expanded into extra sites in Sunderland and South Shields.
Expanding our services (1994-2008)
Newly rebranded as the Tyne and Wear Autistic Society, we opened a post-19 college in Thornhill Park in 1994 and launched our Adult Day Services programmes.
The first of our adult residential homes opened in 1997 – we now have 14 homes, with one sited in the original building where it all began, Number 21. Our first children’s homes were launched 10 years later in 2007.
As understanding of autism grew, we invested in familystyle homes rather than impersonal residential settings. Cath Todd, who has worked at NEAS since 1991, said:
“It wasn’t traditional care anymore. We got to know people really well and could see them change.”
And we extended our Adult Day Services provision by opening our Hendon Workshops in 2002 and our Society shop in Derwent Street the following year, both selling products made by autistic adults.
New direction (2009-present)
We became the North East Autism Society in 2009 to reflect our scope. We launched our supported living and family support services, and bought the 77-acre New Warlands Farm in the Durham countryside to run vocational adult programmes and host adult short breaks.
In 2013 the Countess of Wessex opened the North East Centre for Autism, a £9million development which houses our purpose-built Aycliffe School, Thornbeck College, Cedar House children’s residential home, and children’s short breaks.
In 2016 we launched our Employment Futures service, and the following year we expanded our Family Development to offer parents, toddlers and youth groups.
We celebrated our 40th anniversary in 2020 but there wasn’t much time to look back; instead, we were opening our new school in South Bank, named after our new patron, the artist Mackenzie Thorpe, and planning for another school at Kiora Hall in Stockton which opened in 2022.
Future development plans include an ethical farm, visitor centre and wildlife haven at New Warlands, creating scores of jobs and training opportunities for autistic people.
We are proud to have been empowering and supporting autistic and neurodivergent people for the last 44 years, and will continue to work tirelessly to change things for the better.
Our family’s history is intertwined with NEAS
Alan Palmer has lived most of his 42 years with the support of the North East Autism Society.
His life would not be the same without it. But neither would the charity be the same without the involvement of his remarkable parents – and other families like them.
Alan’s mum Val was so driven to get him the right care, she took on the role of trustee and honorary secretary of what was then called the Tyne and Wear Autistic Society.
She and other parents like her steered the charity as it expanded its school, opened a college and bought a string of adult residential homes.
Val had to juggle that with her full-time job as midwife and nurse practitioner, while her husband – Alan senior – gave up his job as a machinist with the National Coal Board to stay home and look after their children.
“It was a monumental effort,” says Val, of Choppington, Northumberland. “We were just parents and volunteers and we were making lots of big decisions. But we all had a vested interest in the place.
“The main thing is Alan is now living a wonderful life, doing things we could never have dreamed of. It’s been a saviour for him and has probably kept us together as a family.”
The charity grew up alongside Alan. He was one of the early pupils at its Thornhill Park School in Sunderland, joining as a four-year-old in 1985. It opened its first residential home at Number 8 in 1997, and Alan moved in two years later.
He still lives there now, attending Adult Day Services at Number 24, and his family describe him as contented, secure and with a life rich in activities.
It’s something they couldn’t have imagined in his younger days. Alan was diagnosed as autistic at the age of two, and while he was a playful and loving toddler, he would also get frustrated and have angry outbursts.
In desperation, Val wrote to one of the Tyne and Wear Autistic Society’s founders Paul Shattock after hearing him on the radio. He invited her and Alan to visit Thornhill Park, where she felt her son was finally understood.
Alan has gone on to thrive in his adult residential home, where he has known some of his support staff and housemates for decades.
“Looking back, he’s a completely different person to what he was,” Val says.
“All these years, he’s probably been in the best places in the country that understand autism and can get so much out of him.
“We have always been so grateful that Alan has this placement. But I think he deserves it and that has been our driving force behind it all.”
“I was feeling quite lost, I didn’t know where I would go from here”
Toddler groups run by the North East Autism Society provide a lifeline for families who may have nowhere else to turn to for support.
With grant funding becoming increasingly harder to secure, these vital services are at risk. We need your support to help us continue our ‘life-changing’ work for autistic toddlers and their families.
Janine Mooney, from Tynemouth, first spotted that her son Jack was autistic when he was 10 months old.
He would get upset and experience a meltdown if new people spoke to him, hitting himself or others around him.
“I was feeling quite lost, I didn’t know where I would go from here,” Janine said.
It was Jack’s health visitor who referred Janine to the North East Autism Society (NEAS), and she was put on a waiting list to join one of our toddler groups.
Jack, now two-and-a-half-years-old, started attending the group in October last year, and staff from NEAS’ Family Development team soon helped him feel comfortable to explore, play, and interact with the other children in the group.
Janine said: “It took about four sessions for Jack to be out of his pram and straight in. Everywhere else I take him, it takes a lot longer for Jack to get used to.”
“Just over the last six months there’s been a huge difference in Jack, his communication, his socialising, his interaction, even with his speaking and how he plays with toys. Everything,” Janine added.
Family workers work with parents to set individual learning goals for every child, and these are encouraged through activities. Children may learn skills like fine motor control through arts and crafts, or how to self-regulate through physical play.
As well as giving a place for children to play, interact, and build their confidence in a safe environment, the groups also offer lifeline support to families.
Rebecca Weatherstone, Senior Family Worker at NEAS, said:
“It’s important that we not only support the children at the sessions but also the parents and carers as well.
“Being able to meet other families, to share experiences with them, or support each other, and know there are other people in the same position as them.”
Rebecca added: “It’s also the opportunity to talk with an autism trained practitioner. We’re on hand, inside and outside of the group, to answer any questions they have, to signpost them and to model strategies with their child.
“It can be a huge comfort for families during an uncertain time.”
Building connections with other families has been vital for Janine as well, who initially felt isolated from friends and family who had children at the same time.
Janine said: “I would never go out much with Jack. I would feel like I couldn’t with the judgement.”
But now that I’ve got the group with others, it feels like a little family. Everyone’s on the same wavelength.
“It’s not just a Friday afternoon. We’ve all swapped numbers and especially in the summer holidays, when the kids aren’t in nurseries or schools, we’ll meet up in a park. It’s something we can all do.”
Even with money saving measures such as hosting sessions in free venues, it costs around £5,000 to run a toddler group for a year.
By supporting our Little Stars appeal, your donation will go towards activities and materials for the toddlers, snacks to keep them full of energy and ready to play, and helping our staff continue to provide support to families who need it.
If you would like to support our Little Stars campaign please visit www.ne-as.org.uk/donate.
Sharing the love this Christmas
We can’t think of a better way to share the love this Christmas, than by gifting someone one of our products featuring Mackenzie Thorpe’s artwork.
The Middlesbrough-born artist – a patron of the North East Autism Society – launched the bespoke range last Christmas and the products were a hit.
The products will be on sale at our New Warlands Christmas Market on Saturday 30th November but you also purchase them online.
Every penny from sales of the greeting cards, gifts and stocking-fillers will go directly to our Little Stars Christmas Appeal, supporting the ‘life-changing’ work we do for autistic toddlers and their families. The range includes cards, mugs, tote bags, trolley keyrings, pin badges and pens, and all feature designs from Mackenzie’s paintings Love Picker and Picked With Love.
Mackenzie is a proud patron of NEAS, which he describes as “a wonderful organisation with an undeniable sense of
family to it. It is my honour to be part of that family.
“I have seen first-hand the difference their support makes to individuals and families giving autistic people hope of a bright future as they take their next steps. I am so very lucky to be able to help in my own small way.”
Key Ring
Celebration of Supporters
We’ve seen some amazing support so far this year, from marathon runners and endurance hikers, to artists and grassroots events organised by our staff.
Fundraisers, supporters, and sponsors help us deliver lifeline services across the North East, improving quality of life for the autistic people and families who rely on our support.
Spring this year saw runners put in a marathon effort to fundraise for the North East Autism Society (NEAS).
Sarah Costello and Michelle Sanders both took on the London Marathon in April, after being selected from over half a million hopeful entrants, while Barnaby Howard supported us from even further afield as he completed the Geneva Marathon in May, raising a combined total over £4,000.
Sarah, originally from Durham but now living in Reading, said:
“When I got a place in the London Marathon, I knew I wanted to raise money for the North East Autism Society, as they do such a brilliant job supporting my brother Adam.”
Police officer Paul Alderson took a different approach when he organised a unique raffle benefitting NEAS.
Paul, a keen artist whose eldest son, Alex, is autistic, painted an original artwork of Sycamore Gap, taking a total of 40 hours to capture the lost regional landmark on canvas, and raising £1,121.
“It’s been great, and a fulfilling experience to raise money and awareness. I am massively proud of the final amount and blown away by the support,” Paul said of his efforts.
It was a huge year for hikes, starting with our Cleveland Way challenge in May, which saw staff, supporters, and residents from some of our homes take on a rugged 20mile stretch of the famous walking route.
Hiking guides Ben Osborne and Gareth Phillips stepped up the challenge when they completed the entire 109-mile Cleveland Way route in just three days in June.
The pair took on the gruelling challenge to support NEAS on behalf of their company Take A Hike, which offers guided hikes, events, and fundraising days to individuals, charities, and other organisations.
Take A Hike also organised September’s Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge, which again saw staff conquer the iconic circular route encompassing some of the county’s highest peaks.
Joanne Keers, registered manager at Number 14 adults’ residential said:
“Both walks were a challenge, but we thoroughly enjoyed them. We supported two of our residents to complete the Cleveland Way hike, and both of their parents were over the moon.”
Our pupils in Class 6 at Aycliffe School organised and promoted their own hike to raise money for new class resources, climbing Roseberry Topping while dressed as characters from comics and films, and smashing their £500 fundraising target in the process.
Some fundraisers left dry land entirely. Sarah Jackson, from Whickham, took the plunge and braved a mile swim through open water on Lake Windermere when she completed the Great North Swim.
Inspired to take part by her autistic son Henry’s love of being in the water, Sarah raised a total of £575, and said:
“I’m over the moon. The conditions weren’t great, but it was an excellent experience.”
More of our services got involved in fundraising through the year. Children’s residential homes Braemar and Tunstall both hosted successful bake sales.
Staff and residents from Tunstall had a range of other events as part of a fundraising drive to spruce up the home’s garden, holding a summer fete, as well as a supermarket bucket collection and a pier-to-pier pyjama walk.
Registered manager at Tunstall, Rae Markham, said: “We are so grateful for all the money we’ve raised. It’s bought a lot of wonderful garden equipment for our young people.”
Rae added: “We still can’t believe how much we’ve raised. But it’s not over yet, we’ve got one more little push before the end of the year.”
Team NEAS joined the world’s most famous half-marathon again this year, as around 40 fantastic runners came together to tackle the Great North Run, and Junior Great North Run for 2024.
Our cycle challenge returned to the UK this year, taking on the coast-to-coast from Whitehaven to Sunderland, and throwing in hill-climbs to some of England’s highest roads for good measure.
Every penny raised by our cyclists was able to go directly to our services, thanks to headline sponsors LM Global Technology, and co-sponsors Fleet Recruitment and Activa.
Other organisations have made a huge impact by supporting us.
Marubeni Komatsu Ltd generously donated towards New Warlands Farm’s development after the purchase of an excavator for the site, and Ponteland and Washington Rotary Clubs have both kindly supported us this year.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment have been also outstanding in their support for NEAS after selecting us as one of their community partners for 2022-24, and we were also honoured to be chosen as the charity partners for Fortis Vision and Unite Students this year.
A spokesperson for Fortis Vision said: “Fortis Vision is very much a family business and within our family we have autistic individuals, so NEAS was always an obvious charity partner choice for us, and one that is close to our hearts.”
One Fortis Vision employee went more than the extra mile, climbing to nearly two-and-a-half miles above the ground for a charity skydive.
Stevie Miller, Operational Support Manager at Fortis Vision, was supported by colleagues, friends, family, and even businesses around Newton Aycliffe.
Stevie said: “It was one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life – so exhilarating, but also quite relaxing towards the end too.”
We are hugely grateful to everyone who has donated, fundraised, or otherwise supported us this year.
If you are interested in fundraising for NEAS, we have events running throughout the year, and fundraising packs available to help you get started with your own ideas.
For a complete list of our events, visit our website at www.ne-as.org.uk. If you’re interested in organising your own event or challenge, feel free to email us at fundraising@ne-as.org.uk
Spotlight on...
Our toddler groups
Providing valuable support for families at a time of great need, our toddler groups offer a free service for parents and carers of autistic preschool children who are pre, during or post diagnosis.
The groups provide a safe environment where parents can spend time with others who are in similar situations and where children up to five years old can have fun and express themselves in a stigma-free environment.
Trained autism practitioners lead the weekly groups and are on hand to provide information and advice based on the individual needs of each parent and child who attends. Kerrie Highcock, Family Development Manager, said:
“We established our parent and toddler groups in 2016, and since then have supported hundreds of families across the region.
“Over the years we have had the opportunity to work with some incredible children and are privileged to be part of their journey.”
A typical session includes a structured activity, which is always planned to take into consideration the needs of children in the group. Followed by tidy-up time, snack time and group time – which includes a short story. The structure of the sessions is flexible based on the feelings and needs of children on the day.
Our mission is to ensure we are providing the right support, at the right time and in the right way to ensure the best outcomes for each family that joins us.
Our groups: North Tyneside
Meadowell
The group meet every Friday, from 1.00-2.30pm Minton Lane, North Shields, NE29 6PQ
Howdon
The group meet every Friday, from 10.00-11.30am Howdon Children’s Centre, 11A Howdon Lane, NE28 0AL
Newcastle Group
West Walker Family Centre
The group meet every Tuesday, from 10 - 11.30am Greenford Road, Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE6 3BU
For more information on our groups contact Rebecca Weatherstone, Senior Family Worker, by telephone: 0191 410 9974 or email rebecca.weatherstone@ne-as.org.uk
Well done
Kirsty Lee
Rebecca Robinson
Lois Brettle
Employees of the Quarter
Every quarter, NEAS staff are asked to nominate a colleague who has gone above and beyond in the delivery of their duties to benefit the Society and the individuals that we support.
In recognition of the breadth of amazing work done across our services, three winners have been chosen for going the extra mile this quarter.
Our first winner is Kirsty Lee, from Thornhill Park School, who was nominated by Vice Principal Laura Ingram.
Laura said: “Kirsty is a Level 4 Teaching Assistant and part of our events team, and she takes this very seriously.
Kirsty uses her own time to contact local companies for raffle prizes and donation such as the balloon arches and chair covers we used for our celebration morning and end of year prom.”
When one of her colleagues’ daughters was diagnosed with cancer, Kirsty organised a sponsored walk to support the family.
Kirsty said: “The walk was 13-and-a-half miles, and worth every blister to raise money for an amazing, brave girl fighting cancer. We did it as a huge team, all together, and the support from our team at Emsworth was amazing.”
Our second winner is Rebecca Robinson, who works in our Independent Supported Living services in Bedlington.
Assistant Manager Gugu Dube nominated Rebecca for the support she gave colleagues during the riots in August.
Gugu said: “After she had worked a long day shift herself, she used her own car to pick staff from Whitley Bay and Newcastle and get them to their homes.”
Rebecca added: “To think that people were at risk just making their way homes from work to their families really upset and worried me, so it was the least I could do to help.”
Our third Employee of the Quarter is Lois Brettle, Programme Support Worker at New Warlands Farm.
Lois was nominated by Liam Brown, Assistant Manager at Brentwood adults’ residential home, for the exceptional working relationship she has built with one of the residents there.
Liam said: “Paul absolutely adores Lois, and they work so well together. We are filled with so much confidence in her abilities, we know that Paul will get the best out of his life - thanks to her.”
Lois said: “I love working with Paul and giving him the quality of life he deserves, He really is an amazing man with a lot of potential.”
Congratulations to Kirsty, Lois, and Rebecca who each win £50 in vouchers.
Highlights of the quarter
We may be nearing the end of the year, but it’s been another busy few months for everyone here at the North East Autism Society. Here are our highlights of the quarter…
AycliFEST
Aycliffe School held their first music festival, AycliFEST, which was met with rave reviews! The festival featured autistic and neurodivergent performers displaying a range of talents. The headline act was Aukestra, a celebrated North East group of neurodivergent musicians, who had our young people and staff dancing and singing along to rip-roaring set-list.
Read the full story
Kiora Hall praised as ‘shining example’ during official opening
We officially opened Kiora Hall school, which first opened its doors to pupils two years ago, and has now achieved its full capacity of 35 pupils.
The opening ceremony was performed by the Lord Lieutenant of County Durham, Sue Snowdon, who said:
“It’s impossible to not be impressed by what has been achieved at Kiora Hall. Kiora Hall is a shining example of a charity and a local authority working together for the good of the whole community, and you all have so much to be proud of.”
Read the full story
Two local businesses were awarded our Silver
Acceptance Award
Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums was presented with our Silver Acceptance award for their initiatives to create a more exclusive environment for autistic visitors. Key initiatives include providing sensory bags, ear defenders, and introducing relaxed sessions at events. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums have also created online resources to guide visitors and provide information about what to expect when they visit.
Dalton Park also received our Silver Award after introducing a range of initiatives to improve accessibility for shoppers. The retail park has started to offer sensory bags for children in partnership with NEAS, including fidget toys, ear defenders and egg timers. It has also brought in quiet hours every Tuesday from 10am-12pm and Saturday 9.30am-10.30am, and has recognised the Sunflower Lanyard scheme for hidden disabilities.
Read more about our Acceptance Award
AESC volunteers transform school grounds
Fifteen volunteers from the AESC gigafactory in Sunderland spent three weeks at Thornhill Park School creating a decking area and planters for a new school café, and painting 350m of railings around the school grounds.
Nadine Horton, principal of the school, said: “The volunteers have been amazing – providing such a valuable service which I know is going to be hugely appreciated by our whole school.”
The school is planning to open a new café to parents and pupils in the new academic year, serving tea, coffee, cakes and sandwiches prepared by the pupils.
Read the full story
Walk for Acceptance
Hundreds of people turned out at Herrington Country Park to support our annual Walk for Acceptance. The walk had to be postponed in April after heavy rain led to flooding at the park in Sunderland.
However, the event was reorganised and around 300 people took part in the one-mile walk around the park’s picturesque lake.
The walk was started by TV personality and NEAS patron, Pam Royle, who said:
“I’m very proud to be asked to start the walk and meet so many people – regulars and newcomers – who want to support this wonderful charity.”
Read the full story
Support Bright Futures
Help us continue making a positive difference in the lives of autistic individuals and their families across the region by leaving a regular gift.
Your donations directly support essential services like our parent and toddler groups, providing accessible, inclusive spaces for families to connect, learn, and thrive. Every donation, no matter the amount, ensure these vital programmes remain available to those who need them most.
Together, we can build brighter futures.
your donation will make a difference…
Helps pay for resources and refreshments for our children and parents at Toddler Groups
Helps host parent and carer workshops for those supporting their autistic children
Helps provide a space where autistic children can enjoy fun, positive, and meaningful activities.