The Loop - Spring Edition

Spring edition 2022 www.ne-as.org.uk

OUR JOURNEY TO ACCEPTANCE A FLYING START FOR YESNE NEW SCHOOL FOR AUTISTIC CHILDREN Plus…

From the CEO’s desk Save the Dates and more.

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Notes from our CEO Here we are, the first edition of The Loop for 2022 – and what an exciting year we have ahead of us.

John Phillipson Chief Executive Officer

“Demand for our services has never been higher and, while I can’t reveal all of the details just yet, we have some very exciting developments in the pipeline.

“However there are other ways for us to provide support and assistance – which is why we campaign every year for autism acceptance.

“One such development is the opening of our newest school Kiora Hall, in Stockton-on-Tees. We officially received the keys to the newly refurbished building earlier this month and we’re busy recruiting staff to work at the school.

“In the UK, April is Autism Awareness Month, but since 2019 NEAS has been campaigning passionately to promote acceptance rather than awareness. And this year we are taking things one step further by reflecting on how the Society has come over the past 42 years, and how far we still have left to go.

“We have been overwhelmed by the positive response and support we have received from the local community, and even more so by the interest that Kiora Hall has generated online.

“Hundreds of people got in touch with us via email and Facebook to request information about the school, and the sheer number of enquiries really hits home for me that, while we are growing as a charity year on year, there is always more that we could be doing.

“I sincerely wish we could accommodate every autistic child, young person and adult who could benefit from our support across the North-east, but, without a significant increase in funding, that’s simply not possible.

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“On pages six and seven, you can read my personal reflection on the Society’s past and my hopes for the future of the organisation, and I’d encourage you all to get involved with this year’s campaign in any way that you can.

“Together, I am confident that we can make autism acceptance a reality.”

John P hillipson

Contents 4

Save the Date…

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Our journey to acceptance

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How you can get involved in fundraising in 2022

With Autism Acceptance Week just around the corner, we’ve put together a list of events you won’t want to miss!

In 2022, we’re continuing our journey to acceptance.

There are plenty of ways for you take on a challenge in the coming months, and support NEAS in the process.

10 New school for autistic children

NEAS has partnered with Stockton council to give disused Kiora Hall, in Ragpath Lane, Norton, a new lease of life.

12 A flying start for YESNE

More than half (55%) of participants enrolled in the first intake have successfully entered employment, further training or education.

15 From crime scenes to care work

For most of us, the closest we’ll ever get to a crime scene is by watching our favourite TV drama – but for NEAS employee Steven Mutungwazi, it was his reality for more than five years.

16 Spotlight on… Dean Sullivan, Teacher

Meet one of our teachers from Mackenzie Thorpe Centre.

17 Employee of the Quarter

Discover who we’re crowning our Employee of the Quarter.

18 Our highlights

From festive events to a new independent living service. Read our highlights of the quarter.

North East Autism Society Unit 15 Lumley Court Drum Industrial Estate Chester-le-Street DH2 1AN 0191 410 9974 info@ne-as.org.uk www.ne-as.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1028260 Company Limited by Guarantee No. 2859620

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Dr Amy Pearson

Cos Michael

Stigma and victimisation

Priscilla Eyles

Autonomy as we age

Krysia Waldock Inclusion and belonging

Neurodiversity and cults

Emily Lees

Acting neurotypical

As part of our annual Autism Acceptance Campaign, we are hosting an online conference, with autistic speakers.

Aspart partof ofour ourannual annualAutism AutismAcceptance AcceptanceCampaign, Campaign, As The aims of the event are to: weare arehosting hostingan anonline onlineconference, conference,with withautistic autisticspeakers. speakers. we • Make a statement that listening to the experiences of autistic people is vital The event are to: • Educate people about theaims livesof of the autistic people (dispel some myths)

The aims of the event are to: • Contribute to changing negative narrativeofofautistic autism people is vital • Make a statement that listening the to the experiences • Make a statement that listening to the experiences of autistic people is vital • Recognise andabout celebrate and neurodiversity in all some peoplemyths) • Educate people thediversity lives of autistic people (dispel • Educate people about the lives of autistic people (dispel some myths) • •Discuss the barriers to acceptance and the reason for Contribute to changing the negative narrative ofthem autism • Contribute to changing the negative narrative of autism • Inspire professionals to change through constructive education • Recognise and celebrate diversity and neurodiversity in all people • Recognise and celebrate diversity and neurodiversity in all people • Discuss the barriers to acceptance and the reason for them • Discuss the barriers to acceptance and the reason for them • Inspire professionals to change through constructive education • Inspire professionals to change through constructive education

Tickets cost just £10 To register visit: www.ne-as.org.uk/acceptance-matters22

Save the Dates

We’ve put together a list of events you don’t want to miss!

Golf Day

Thursday 7 April Rockliffe Hall, Teesside

Autism Acceptance Week 28 March - 3 April

Schools, businesses and homes Across the North-east!

This year, we’re continuing our journey to Autism Acceptance. Since 2019 we’ve been campaigning for autism acceptance, working with autistic individuals, families, schools and businesses across the North-east in a bid to change the narrative on how people view and understand autism.

Sign up to join us this year and you’ll receive information and resources about autism, support for planning your own acceptance events and the chance to support a great local charity!

Join Our Journey to Acceptance by clicking here: https://www.ne-as.org.uk/autism-acceptance2022

Join us as we hit the fairways at Rockliffe Hall Golf Club to raise vital funds for North East Autism Society. Enter a team of four players to compete in an 18-hole round of golf, with prizes awarded to the top scorers on the day.

All participants will enjoy a bacon sandwich as well as oncourse competitions and prizes. Players can enjoy a twocourse meal and the opportunity to get involved in our raffle, silent auction and live auction.

Entries cost £300 per team of four players, full information can be found at: https://www.ne-as.org.uk/golfday

Walk for Acceptance Friday 22 April

Herrington Country Park, Sunderland

World Autism Acceptance Day Saturday 2 April Everywhere!

Get ready for the gold rush! North-east landmarks are set to bathed in gold once again to celebrate World Autism Acceptance Day. From bridges to windmills, fountains to clock towers, iconic monuments throughout the region will be lit up to champion our campaign. You can join in by lighting up your home or workplace, or by heading out and snapping a picture of your nearest landmark.

After two years away, we’re delighted to announce that our Walk for Acceptance is returning! We’ll be back at Herrington Country Park on Friday 22 April, and we’d love for you to join us.

Registration starts from 10am with the walk setting off at 11am. There will be activity packs, music, food and drink and a visit from our mascot Snowdrop the hedgehog!

Tickets cost £5 per adult and under 18s go free – sign up here: https://www.ne-as.org.uk/Event/wfa2022

Find out more online at: ne-as.org.uk/events

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Our Journey to Acceptance Every year we mark World Autism Awareness Day with a week-long campaign, and for the last three years we’ve switched our focus from awareness to acceptance. This year, we’re going one step further and looking back over our own journey towards acceptance.

As we approach April 2nd, NEAS CEO John Phillipson reflects on how far the Society has come over the past 42 years, as well as how far we still have left to go…

“For 17 years I have been at the helm of the North East Autism Society, and in that time the charity has made great strides in the way we support autistic children, young people and adults.

NEAS was born out of the desire of a group of parents to provide a better standard of care and education for their autistic children, however, when the charity was founded in 1980, there was very limited understanding around autism and terms such as neurodiversity were still unheard of.

Back then it was widely believed that autistic children displayed behaviours that were learned, and, if you broke those habits, you would be able to transform the child. These beliefs were reflected within our services at the time and many practices or strategies that we then deemed acceptable would be considered extreme, unethical or even illegal nowadays.

One such practice was the use of duvets to restrain children when they became dysregulated. I can only assume the intention was that the soft duvet might provide some tactile comfort and help to calm the child – but in reality, most institutions had these filthy old duvets that they wrapped children in, and the practice would lead to further distress.

During my first few weeks here, I remember opening a cupboard in one of our services and seeing a duvet in there. I said immediately, “I don’t know what it’s doing there, but I want it gone, I want it out with the bins.”

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That kind of thing was prevalent, not only within the Society but across the whole network of autism schools and services at the time. People would regularly say to me, “If you understood autism John, you’d know that this is why we do these things”, but I just couldn’t accept it.

That’s why, when I joined what was then the Tyne and Wear Autistic Society in 2005 as CEO, I challenged myself to learn as much as I could about autism. I started visiting other organisations and coming back and challenging the things that we were doing here.

I have always felt strongly that, as an organisation, we must recognise the importance of expanding and evolving our knowledge and understanding.

That’s why, particularly since I’ve been here, we have made a conscious effort to challenge the misconceptions that society has about autism.

One key commitment we have made is to listen to the very people we exist to serve, which led to the establishment of our Autism and Neurodiversity Think Tank in 2019.

Made up of autistic individuals, the Think Tank provides input into everything from the training we deliver to our staff to the language we use and our annual Autism Acceptance campaigns.

They come at things from an angle I would never have thought of, and I am endlessly grateful to its members for sharing their lived experiences with us.

It was under their guidance that we made the decision to move away from using the colour blue in our campaigns, and you won’t ever see a jigsaw piece in any of our promotional materials.

This was due to the focus that some organisations around the world placed on deficits and cures for autism.

And those types of ideas totally contradict our mission statement as charity, in which we vow to inspire, support, celebrate and equip autistic individuals.

That’s why since 2019 we’ve encouraged the local community to ‘go for gold’ throughout Autism Acceptance Week in April. And this year we’re asking you all to join us as we continue our journey to acceptance.

While we appreciate every pound that is so generously donated in support of our services, I’d challenge you all to get involved with our campaign and perhaps challenge your own understanding of autism.

After all, we can only appreciate what life is really like for people who are different to us when we walk a mile in their shoes. So I’d ask you to consider the discrimination that the autistic community is faced with, or the difficulties that can arise simply due to how we structure and order the world?

We might still have a way to go before we achieve acceptance, but if we all work together – autistic or not - we can continue to make a big difference to the lives of autistic and neurodiverse children, young people and adults, as well as their families, across the entire North-east.”

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How you can get involved in fundraising in 2022 Despite the difficulties brought about by the ongoing pandemic, staff and supporters took on a range of exciting fundraising events and challenges in 2021 – and we want this year to be even bigger and better!

With restrictions now lifted across much of the United Kingdom, we’re welcoming in-person events back with a bang this year and hosting our annual Walk for Acceptance at Herrington Country Park in April, as part of our Autism Acceptance Month celebrations.

If walking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of opportunities for you to take on a challenge in the coming months, and support our vital frontline services in the process. Why not enter an event as a target for yourself to keep you motivated? Whether you fancy a run, cycle or even a golf day, there’s plenty going on around the region for you to take part in.

Sunderland 10k Sunday 8 May

After last year’s great success on Wearside, Team NEAS will be back for the Sunderland 10k.

Join us for this brilliant event, which also has 5k and half marathon distances available over the weekend. To enter, head to the race website and then contact us to let us know you’re on board.

Entry Link: https://sunderlandcity10k.com/ 8

Hadrian’s Wall Trek Friday 24 - Sunday 26 June

If you’d prefer a challenge at a slower pace than a run, why not try a walking challenge? We’ve teamed up with a number of regional Autism charities from across the UK to bring you this amazing challenge - trekking a 25-mile (41km) stretch of this piece of history, right in our own back yard. https://www.ne-as.org.uk/Event/ hadrianswalltrek

Great North Run Sunday 11 September

Join Team NEAS for the world’s greatest half marathon as we take on the 2022 Great North Run! Guarantee your entry today for just £50 and receive a free Going for Gold running vest, a fundraising pack filled with fundraising and training hints and tips, and access to our space in the charity village after the finish line in South Shields. All of our charity place runners will be asked to raise £400 in sponsorship – a tenner for each year North East Autism Society has been providing lifeline services for autistic people across the region. Register today by clicking the sign up link below.

Secured your place already through the ballot?

You can still join the team! To join us, please follow the event link below and click “I have my own place”.

Event Link: https://www.ne-as.org.uk/Event/greatnorthrun2022

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As Part of Autism Awareness Month £5 per adult and under-18s go free 1-mile route is wheelchair & pushchair friendly Certificates from Snowdrop the Spikeshuffler Music, face painting & games

0191 410 9974

fundraising@ne-as.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1028260

Register at: ne-as.org.uk/wfa2022

New school for autistic children thanks to partnership between NEAS and council

Our CEO, John Phillipson, has praised a partnership with Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council that has transformed an historic community building into a new school for autistic children.

NEAS has partnered with the council to give disused Kiora Hall, in Ragpath Lane, Norton, a new lease of life. The keys were handed over on February 28 following a £1.3m investment

by NEAS. Our CEO said:

“It’s been a pleasure to work with a local authority that shares our passion for improving the lives of children with special educational needs.”

Mr Phillipson said Thornbrook Construction and Cadman Associates had done a “fantastic job” in keeping the project on track despite the pandemic.

Kiora Hall has had varied uses since 1902, including a family home, offices, Army gun battery, youth club, school, and community

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centre. It was also used as a prisoner of war camp.

The new design, by PW Architectural Consultants, features 12 classrooms, a kitchen, computer room, arts and crafts facilities, and sports hall. Talks are ongoing with Roseworth Big Local about making parts of the building, including the sports hall, available for community use.

Staff training and child assessments have been taking place since February 28, with the first pupils due to enroll in the spring. A second cohort of around 12 will join in September.

Roseworth councillor Jim Beale said:

“We are delighted to have been working with NEAS. It’s a win-win because the building now has an exciting new purpose that will change lives.”

As our education services continue to expand, we have a number of exciting vacancies within our education teams across the North-east. Our current vacancies include: • Teacher • Level 2 Teaching Assistant • Level 4 Teaching Assistant • Caretakes • Domestic • Cleaner • Cook

A full list of vacancies can be found at: www.ne-as.org.uk/careers

A flying start for YESNE Last year the North East Autism Society’s Employment Futures provision launched a brand new employment service to support young people across the North-east.

Youth Employment Service North East (YESNE) – which has been funded for two years by the Youth Futures Foundation – is a 16-week programme aimed at helping neurodivergent 18 to 24-year-olds find employment, or access further education or training.

noticed an improvement in self-development, have a better understanding of their career options, and feel more able to manage their anxieties – and for us, as course mentors, those things are just as crucial.”

And YESNE, which has just bid farewell to its first cohort of participants, has got off to a flying start.

Referrals are now open for the second cohort, which is due to start in April. Workshops will be delivered at both the Sunderland and North Shields offices and participants can also benefit from financial help in the form of a daily lunch allowance and travel costs.

A total of nine participants enrolled in the first intake which began in October 2021, and incredibly more than half (55%) of those have successfully entered employment, further training or education in relation to their desired career path.

Employment Specialist Philip Nicholson, who delivers the course workshops and supports participants, says the first cohort has been a huge success.

To find out more about the programme, or to register interest for yourself or your child, either: visit: www.yesne.org.uk, email: info@yesne.org.uk call/text/WhatsApp: 07771 214 276

“It’s great that so many of our participants have been able to take the next steps in their journey to employment,” Philip says. “But every single one of the young people who took part in YESNE said they have

Or, if you’re an employer who would like to offer placements: email: Jacqueline.pigford@ne-as.org.uk call: 07834 168 413.

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What our participants said: 100%

Understanding Career Options

100%

Confidence and Managing Anxiety

66.6%

Health and Wellbeing

Noted Improvement

Noted Improvement

Noted Improvement

88%

Noted Improvement

88%

Noted Improvement

88%

Noted Improvement

100%

Noted Improvement

Gaining Skills/ Experience Positive Disclosure/ Preparation for Work

CV/ Skills

Self- Development

Case study Connor Caizley, 20, was referred by the Job Centre and, since enrolling on the programme, he says he has grown in confidence and feels a lot more positive about his future career prospects.

Connor is particularly grateful to programme mentor Philip Nicholson, who runs the North Shields office and works closely with YESNE participants throughout the 16-week programme.

“I want to say thank you to Phil for bringing me here and for getting my confidence up. I am really enjoying the programme,” he says.

“I’d tell other people to come into this programme – you’ll get so much experience. There’s a lot of people who can support you all the way. And if you don’t know something or don’t understand, just ask.”

Connor adds: “I feel much more confident than ever.”

Care roles at Join us for Career Progression Training Innovative Practices

Million dollar smiles

Working for the North East Autism Society is your first step towards a life-changing career.

Exciting new opportunities have arisen to join our care services across the North-east. While we value experience, it is not essential – all we ask is that you’re hard-working, willing to learn and want to make a difference to the lives of others.

www.ne-as.org.uk/careers recruitment@ne-as.org.uk 18 14

0191 410 9974 14

From crime scenes to care work: Steven’s story “The best thing about the job is the satisfaction you feel when the adults get you, and you know you are friends.”

FOR most of us, the closest we’ll ever get to a crime scene is by watching our favourite TV drama – but for NEAS employee Steven Mutungwazi, it was his reality for more than five years.

Despite his lack of direct experience, it seems Steven found his calling as, after just five months the 32-yearold was promoted to Team Leader at our Redewood Supported Living home in Newcastle.

Steven, originally from Zimbabwe, studied applied biology and biochemistry at university and went on to work for the local police force as a forensic scientist for a number of years.

He now oversees a team of staff who support two adults, helping them to live safely and as independently as possible in a home of their own and to access the local community.

However, life these days looks drastically different for Steven, having moved 5,000 miles from home and embarked on a very different career path.

“The best thing about the job is the satisfaction you feel when the adults get you, and you know you are friends,” says Steven. “And when you can see the difference you are making to the adults’ lives.”

He adds: “It wasn’t always easy getting there, but we have a great relationship now.”

Since 2019, Steven and his family have been living in the North-east of England and in February this year he joined the North East Autism Society as a Care Support Assistant.

While Steven had no formal care experience when he started with the Society, one of his cousins is autistic, which he says helped prepare him for the role as he was already aware of autism and other forms of neurodiversity.

While Steven’s two careers may be poles apart, he says he brought with him a number of transferrable skills that have helped him to succeed at NEAS.

“I’d say one of the skills that helped me to do well in this job is being observant. The small details really do matter,” Steven says. “Team work is also massively important, as you can’t do this job alone.

“I’m very lucky to have a team at Redewood who all work well together. When everyone chips in and helps each other it, it makes all the difference.”

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Spotlight on...

Dean Sullivan Teacher at Mackenzie Thorpe Centre

Jobs in construction, landscaping, warehousing and security gave Dean Sullivan the broad range of transferrable skills he needed to quickly settle into his new career with the North East Autism Society.

Having never considered a career in teaching before, Dean was inspired to explore the idea after an advert popped up on his computer screen. And, after qualifying in 2020, Dean took up a position as a teaching assistant within the special needs unit at a mainstream school.

“When I was doing my teacher training I spent my second term in a special needs school and I absolutely loved it,” Dean says. “Every night I was leaving school with a smile on my face and I just thought ‘this is for me’.”

Dean got his wish in March 2021 when he landed a permanent job as a post-14 teacher at the Mackenzie Thorpe Centre in South Bank, Middlesbrough.

He now teaches everything from maths and English to woodwork, and is passionate about helping learners to develop vocational and independent living skills.

“The best thing about my job is when I see one of the learners do something that I didn’t expect them to do, when it just comes out of the blue,” Dean explains.

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“We set targets for our learners to help them develop but sometimes they’ll find something that they want to explore and we just stand back and just watch them do it, completely independently – and that’s what we’re trying to promote.

“That’s one of the big things for us, to set the young people up for life and to work and live independently, so when you see that in action you know you’re doing your job.”

Dean is just one of many staff members at Mackenzie Thorpe to have entered the education sector either with no or limited professional experience.

However he brought with him a wealth of skills that have undoubtedly helped him to succeed, and says potential applicants shouldn’t be deterred simply because they’ve never worked in a school, or with autistic individuals, before.

“Whatever skills you’ve picked up over the years are transferrable in a provision like this, even if you don’t think they are,” Dean adds.

“Whether you’ve been working in a shop or working in a factory, down a mine or on a building site, there is going to be something you have in your skillset that is going to transfer into a setting like this. Without a doubt.”

Well done Honor Lamb

Employee of the Quarter In November last year, the North East Autism Society introduced a new staff initiative, asking employees to nominate their colleagues to be crowned ‘Employee of the Quarter’ in recognition of the hard work, kindness and dedication they show on a daily basis.

Honor Lamb, team leader at our Seaham Independent Supported Living home, was selected by CEO John Phillipson as our first winner – which means she will automatically be in the running for a brand new prize – the CEO Commendation – at this year’s Star Awards.

Nominated by her colleague Caroline Stanlick, it was Honor’s dedication to making the property a comfortable home for the three adults who live there that made her the worthy winner in Mr Phillipson’s eyes.

“Honor came back to Seaham house after being ill for a long time and decorated the house for the lads, including their bedrooms - and all in her own time,” Caroline said in her nomination.

“She put floors down and everything without getting workmen in - all so the lads can have a nice house.”

We asked Honor, who joined NEAS as a Support Worker at New Warlands Farm in 2010, what it meant to be chosen as Employee of the Quarter.

“I was absolutely overjoyed to be nominated,”she says. “It was such a lovely gesture and an ‘Honor’.”

Having worked at the farm for almost four years, Honor successfully applied for the role of Team Leader at Seaham, where she has stayed ever since.

“I absolutely love working within the Supported Living service as it’s nice to be able to support our young people within their own homes,” Honor says. “I am also blessed to have absolutely amazing managers and a team who are so supportive and a pleasure to work with.”

Having worked for the Society for 12 years now, Honor says she has countless highlights from both her time within day services and supported living, however one memory really stands out to her.

She adds: “I was lucky enough to take one of our adults, who was very unsettled for such a long time, to London for his 40th birthday. It was just so amazing to see this young man, who used to struggle to step out on the street at times, travel on the train and go sightseeing around London.

“It is so rewarding to make a difference to the lives of our young people and adults.”

Our next Employee of the Quarter will be chosen this month and announced in the Summer edition of The Loop.

Find out more about our Support Worker vacancies at ne-as.org.uk/careers

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Highlights of the Quarter It’s been another busy few months here at the North East Autism Society! Here’s our highlights of the quarter…

Our All I want for Christmas campaign was a success

New support hubs for families in Newcastle

Staff, supporters and those who access NEAS services all came together to make our Christmas campaign a huge success. Fundraising Officer Jon Appleton said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we’ve received for our Christmas campaign this year, particularly given the tough 18 months we’ve all had.

We are so excited to announce we have received funding to extend our Newcastle Autism hubs offer to include over 7s starting in March. These hubs will be for parent/carers of children post-diagnosis and over 7 years old living in Newcastle

“Everyone’s efforts have been incredible and the funds raised will go a long way in helping us to provide vital support and services to autistic individuals and their families across the North-east.”

We’re proud to report that we have raised almost £1,200. charity.

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Since launching, our autism support hubs have been a lifeline for families in the region.

Find out more at: www.ne-as.org.uk/family-development-autism-hubs

New Independent Living Services across the North-east Due to increasing demand for our services, we launched new independent living services in Northumberland.

We’re recruiting for 40+ Care Support Assistants to join the teams with roles available in Blyth, Bedlington, North Shields and Sunderland.

Find out more: www.ne-as.org.uk/careers

North-east Dad’s Gruelling Challenge

A Night at the Theatre

Not many people would volunteer to run 4225 kilometres, but that’s exactly what dad-of-four Craig Huddart has done.

Our children, young people and adults, along with families and carers, enjoyed a night at the theatre in February, after NEAS was kindly donated tickets to the relaxed performance of Beauty and the Beast at the Sunderland Empire.

The 38-year-old has set himself an ambitious challenge and is planning to run 10km every single day in 2022 and, if that wasn’t already tough enough, every seventh day he’ll be completing a half marathon instead.

Craig, from Holwick, County Durham, says he was inspired to take up the challenge and fundraise for the North East Autism Society as he has autistic children.

Read Craig’s story and show your support: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craig-huddart2

Sunderland Empire has been awarded the Gold Standard for Autism Acceptance Award by NEAS, following an eight-year partnership with the theatre’s Creative Learning team.

Read more about our partnership with Sunderland Empire: www.ne-as.org.uk/news/sunderland-empireneas-gold-autism-acceptance-award

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In 2022, we’re continuing Our Journey to Acceptance.

Help us to make Autism Acceptance Week 2022 (March 28 - April 3) bigger and better than anything we’ve done before.

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Learn More at: https://www.ne-as.org.uk/pages/category/autism-acceptance-week