society’s winners Project in bid to increase understanding of autism

Prize

The Autism in Schools Project has been launched in Dorset to help all students and staff understand the condition and help schools offer environments in which autistic students can thrive. An inclusive environment aims to improve the experience autistic young people have at school and boost confidence in the school for their parents and carers.

its success. Co-production is a feature of the project and our ambition is for all the schools and families (via the Parent Carer Forum) to collaborate with each other and with outside agencies to develop strategies for more personalised, child centred support.”

The overall winner

The garden that wowed the judges and was chosen as the overall winner of the competition was the winning medium garden created and cared for by Alison Waterman and Richard Middleton.

When Alison and Richard moved into the house ten years ago the garden was a complete bare canvas.

Alison, who has always had a love for gardening, set about creating something special for their family. She decided on a colourful cottage-style garden, getting a huge amount of satisfaction from growing a vast variety of different flowers including her favourites geums and salvias. The front of the house is devoted to fruit and vegetables and is known as ‘the allotment’. It was initially the project of her young sons, who were keen to get involved with gardening.

Alison works in mental health and finds her garden the place where she can totally switch off and relax. Every year she has introduced new elements and is already thinking ahead to next year when she wants to take over some of the lawn to wildflowers in order to attract more wildlife to the garden.

Alison said: “We just love our garden and for it to be recognised by others is just unbelievable!”