Latest News

November 08

Christmas Fair Success
Autism Anglia held a Christmas Fair at the Holiday Inn near Doucecroft School in Eight Ash Green on Sunday 23rd November.  In total, there were 12 stalls to entice Christmas shoppers, including books, bags, jewellery, art and pottery as well as Christmas cards and a raffle.  The children enjoyed having their faces painted by our very own Barbara Morrison of the FE department.  Despite inclement weather early in the day, the Fair received a healthy number of visitors and in total raised over £400 for the charity.  Thanks to everyone who took part and supported us on the day!

Finalists in Colchester District Business Awards
Autism Anglia were thrilled to have been short listed for the Colchester Business Awards 2008 under the Best Business in the Community Category!  Staff from across the Services attended the Awards Presentation which took place at Charter Hall in Colchester on Friday 28th November.

FE gets HBOS Award for Training Kitchen
The FE Department were very pleased to receive £2000 this month from the Trustees of the PJK Charitable Trust. Earlier in the year funds were awarded from The Essex Youth Trust, The Augustine Courtauld Trust and Bernie Ward the branch manager of the HBOS visited the site to present a cheque for £3,209. These donations will contribute towards the £30,000 project, to convert an out-building into a Training Kitchen for students aged between 16-19 who have autism. Students will learn about transferring valuable life skills into a realistic living environment in the hope that they will be more independent in adulthood. Autism Anglia hopes to raise the full amount to allow the project to go ahead during one of the school holidays, so not to disrupt students during term time.

October 08

Autism Anglia Hails Successful Alert Card Launch
Autism Anglia is celebrating after a highly successful presentation launch of its Autism Alert Card scheme which has taken place in partnership with Norfolk Constabulary, and hopes to assist thousands of people across the county.

Parents, trustees and representatives from local councils, police, advisory groups and social services attended the Assembly Rooms in Norwich to see Simon Bailey, Temporary Assistant Chief Constable of Norfolk Constabulary, present a new Alert Card to a young man from the local area who has Autism.

Autism Alert Cards are available free of charge to anyone who has a diagnosis of Autism. They carry the Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk police logos and so are easily identifiable to the emergency services. The cards provide simple instructions and contact information in case of an emergency.

Mr Bailey said: “Norfolk Constabulary is committed to listening to and helping disadvantaged groups and the setting up of this scheme is a perfect example of how this can be done by working with other local organisations.”

Another local charity Asperger East Anglia also supported the event on 9th October 2008.

Autism Anglia is proud to have brought the Alert Card scheme to Norfolk, after its availability in Essex and Suffolk over the last year received high praise from people with Autism and their families.

Chief Executive of Autism Anglia, Clive Stobbs said afterwards: “I am delighted that that the Norfolk launch of the Anglia Autism Alert Card was so successful and that so many people turned up to support the event. I would like to express my gratitude to Norfolk Constabulary for their help, support and encouragement in arranging the launch and introducing the card scheme to Norfolk.

“All who attended the launch in Norwich are pleased that the scheme is now available to help the residents of Norfolk.”

Figures suggest that at least 8000 people in Norfolk could have an Autism Spectrum Condition, and so benefit from holding an Alert Card. Anyone with Autism can apply for a card and be secure in the knowledge that they will have this effective communication tool with them at all times, should they need it.

September 08

Colchester Trinity Rotary Group supports Jigsaw Minibus
In September Mike Norton from the Colchester Trinity Rotary Group presented a cheque for £4,100 towards the cost of the new Jigsaw Minibus, the donation saw the completion of a £20,000 fundraising project by the charity to purchase a new minibus for the Jigsaw day centre. The 52 adults who attend weekly sessions will benefit from being able to access to a wider range of outside activities.

Third Local Autism Charity to join Autism Anglia
The Norfolk Autistic Society is to be the third local charity to join Autism Anglia – a new regional charity formed earlier this year through the merger of The Essex Autistic Society & the Norfolk Autistic Community Housing Association (NACHA).

The three local charities came together to improve the services and support that it can provide to children and adults with autism spectrum conditions, and their families, across the region.

The Essex Autistic Society was established since 1973 when two sets of parents in Essex discovered there was no specialist provision for their children. Since then a school, further education centre, adult residential homes, a day centre and a family support team have been added to the services it provided in the county. In Norfolk, NACHA provided specialist adult care in and around Dereham whilst the Norfolk Autistic Society offered advocacy and respite services to families.

Together Autism Anglia provides specialist autism services to over 180 children and adults and supports 1,500 families throughout the region and has the capacity to extend its provision to help even more people with autism. The head office for the charity will be in Colchester, Essex with offices remaining in Dereham and Norwich.

Autism Anglia is keen to maintain close working relationships with other local autism charities such as Asperger East Anglia - a separate charity providing services to people with Asperger Syndrome which forms part of the autism spectrum - as well as forge links with schools, businesses and the emergency services to increase awareness and understanding of the condition.

Already a start has been made; with the support of Norfolk Constabulary, the very successful Autism Alert Card scheme that was launched in Essex and Suffolk last year is being extended into Norfolk. The credit card sized cards easily identify that the holder has autism and offers practical advice and a contact number to ring in case of emergency.

The Anglia Autism Alert Cards will officially be launched at the Assembly House in Norwich on 9th October.