On Sunday 3 December at 12:00 noon I stood 100 foot above the ground. I was standing on the roof of the iconic Belfast Castle with a team of highly trained professionals and a handful of apprehensive sponsors who were also preparing to abseil down the side of the building to raise vital funds for Autism NI – Northern Ireland’s longest serving autism charity and training provider that offers life changing services to over 35,000 autistic people and their families. This organisation was first brought to my families attention in 2004 when my younger sister was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and they made numerous home visits to offer any guidance and tips they thought we might find useful. We were so thankful to their team of knowledgable and dedicated professionals and knew we were forever indebted to them for the knowledge they passed on to us and instilling confidence in us from the very first interaction. Since that time I have gone on to work in a professional setting with children and young adults with special educational needs and Autism NI have provided me with three extended training courses to further my knowledge. Earlier this year when I signed up to fundraise I knew it was the ideal time to face my fear of heights and do it for a good cause: to raise much needed funds and begin to repay this company for the amazing work they do within the wider community.
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There is an external link to my JustGiving page where you can donate money to Autism NI.
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“How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”
– Judy Blume
“Students with special needs require more than just an education from their teachers. They need support, warmth and acceptance to reach their full potential.”
– Ingrid Garcia
“It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a child with autism to raise the consciousness of that village.”
– Elaine Hall
Through the guidance of Autism NI I set up a Just Giving page and aimed to raise £250 for my fundraiser and was able to exceed my goal just in time for the abseil. While £250 sounds like a giant ask – especially in the current economic climate and on this side of Christmas – it really opens your eyes to the work that goes into the organisation when you see how the money will be used to help the wider community.
£15 will provide a family with a tailored information pack.
£25 will provide a one-hour advice session for autistic people and their families.
£100 will provide a bespoke home early intervention service for one family.
£500 will provide five early intervention services.
£1,000 will cover 25 parents / carers of a newly diagnosed autistic child to attend an Autism NI support course.
Click here to be redirected to my Just Giving fundraising page in support of Autism NI. Thank you to each and every person who has donated and supported me throughout my fundraising campaign. To be able to exceed my target is a huge achievement I am incredibly proud of and I even faced my fears of heights. I wonder what I will get myself into next…
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