Loughborough rail workers Walk for Autism
Staff from Loughborough Railway Station, Leicestershire, are walking to raise money for the National Autistic Society. Led by Bruce Astill, of Melton Mowbray, the team intend to walk 500 cumulative miles throughout April to raise money.
Bruce Astill saw an opportunity to raise money this April, to further Autism awareness and support through the National Autistic Society. Being an Autistic adult himself, Bruce values the help and support that such an organisation can provide. "There are more people getting diagnosed now, they require guidance and support, as do their families and support networks", he elaborated.
When asked what challenges are faced by Autistic people, Bruce gave a detailed explanation. "Firstly, we live in a world of higher diagnosing rates, yet find ourselves in a society where accessing a diagnosis can mean years on an NHS waiting list."
"Either side, there will be people, families, carers, support networks, employers, educators, and others, who will need advice and guidance from the National Autistic Society." Bruce explained that this is what the National Autistic Society do, they provide information, whilst combating the myths and misinformation about the Autistic Spectrum.
The Organisation also offers workshops and seminars for employers, to help them build more inclusive workspaces, something that Bruce fully supports. "My employers called in the National Autistic Society to help make learning and development more inclusive. They also provided critical information to support Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion efforts so that managers had a better understanding of their Autistic employees. It made a big impact on how my employer sees Autism."
"The National Autistic Society wouldn't be able to offer such services unless they have the funding to do so. They have trained professionals to help in a multitude of situations, from online and phone services, to employment services, special educational services, among other things and that all comes at a great cost".
Team Loughborough will be walking, and running, throughout April in various places inside Leicestershire, and further out. The last walk will be on April 30th and more details can be found on their JustGiving site.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/team-lough-nas
The National Autistic Society is the UK's leading charity for Autistic people. Since 1962 they have been campaigning and supporting Autistic people and their families, helping to create a society that works for Autistic people
https://www.autism.org.uk/