Bolton's 10K Walk for Autism Training Equipment

Aim

To purchase training equipment in order to deliver vital awareness training to volunteers and families affected by autism.

Bolton Adult Autism Support (BAAS) is a grassroots charity based in Bolton working to improve the lives of individuals and families impacted by autism. In June 2020, in recognition of our work, BAAS received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the MBE of voluntary organisations!!

Our values go ACROSS the autistic spectrum:-

Acceptance
Connection
Respect
Openness
Sensitivity
Support

Our ethos is one of total inclusion: of four employees, two are parent/carers of adults on the autistic spectrum, one is a diagnosed adult and the fourth is the immediate family member of an autistic adult. Of our six trustees, one is a diagnosed autistic adult and our Vice-Chair is a parent/carer of an autistic adult. We collectively use our extensive lived experience to shape our service, ensuring that we focus our efforts where they are needed the most.

We currently support over 80 families through one, or more than one, of the below services:-

• A volunteer led one to one adult focused befriending service

• A welfare benefits advocacy service - we have a 100% success rate for Disability Welfare Benefit First Tier Tribunal Appeals!

• Weekly group social events, facilitating recreational and life skills activities

• Promoting awareness in our local community through workshops and lectures, as well as regularly hosting student work placements from our local universities and colleges

In the month celebrating World Autism Awareness Day, we have teamed with Bolton Wanderer's Football Club #bwfc to complete a Community 10K, and are asking for your help to purchase vital training equipment for our service beneficiaries and volunteers, so that we can deliver our training sessions and provide them with vital knowledge. These training sessions will cover the following:-

1. Autism Awareness

2. Adult Safeguarding & Confidentiality

3. How to Become a Befriender

4. Your Entitlement to Welfare Benefits & How to Apply

The Autism Research Charity, Autistica, published a report in 2021 which shows that those with a diagnosis of autism have the highest unemployment rates of all disability categories in the UK. 

These statistics are for a variety of reasons, including a lack of understanding and reasonable adjustments in the workplace. What this means in reality is that at least 80% of autistic adults are reliant on welfare benefits. 

Attaining the correct benefit entitlement such as Personal Independence Payments can be a really overwhelming and difficult process for many autistic adults and their carers. By providing awareness training to our service beneficiaries, we will be helping families to avoid poverty and increase their overall wellbeing. Together with delivery of essential training to volunteers, and parent/carers, helping others to better understand how to support Bolton's autistic community.

We hope to raise £1,000 to purchase this essential equipment, and we’re so lucky to be supported in this endeavour, by Stuart and Anita, two of BAAS’s service beneficiaries. Stuart and Anita will be undertaking Bolton’s 10K Charity Walk on 28th April 2024, and they are now looking for sponsors in recognition of their efforts

If you are able to make a donation to spur on Stuart and Anita in their impressive 10K for Charity, they, and we, would be so very grateful. If you are unable to make a donation today, please still show your support for BAAS, Stuart and Anita by sharing the link to this fundraising page with your friends and contacts!

GOOD LUCK STUART AND ANITA - WE’RE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!!!

This project successfully funded on 29th April 2024