Pictured above: Ty outside The Hut on Mersea Island

Ty is 17 and a student at Autism Anglia’s Doucecroft School in Colchester, Essex.  Ty has been at Doucecroft for four years and is currently working with the transition team at the school which works to prepare the students for life after school.

Ty has autism and a learning disability. He has also faced some personal challenges over the past couple of years which he has worked hard to overcome. The staff team have worked to support him through this difficult time. Doucecroft offers him the chance to challenge himself in a safe and supportive environment. He is in a class with a peer group he can relate to and a teacher who understands his strengths and areas for development, she knows him well and is able to motivate him.

Ty told us:

The school have helped me to become more confident, learn new things, and Ramen the Guinea pig helped me to be happier.

 Ty has recently been thinking about what job he would like to do and his mum suggested he might like to rent out their beach hut on Mersea Island, Essex. Ty’s family purchased a beach hut when Ty’s brother sadly passed away in 2010 so this has been a special place for the family.   

Ty has been working very hard to ensure The Hut is ready to rent out.  He has created a website with the help of his uncle and has been at The Hut on the weekends making sure it is clean and tidy. He designed the new company logo.  Ty has also begun promoting the venture on social media and has created videos to let people know about The Hut.

 

When asked if he had faced any challenges, he said:

It is very hard to get the business ready because so many things are not written in a good way for me to understand. I wanted to make most of the choices so need things to be clear.

 Ty also spoke of his future plans for the business:

I want to be a good manager, help lots of people have a nice day at the hut, raise money for Autism Anglia and Freedom Boat Adventures  and earn money to spend on gaming and films. I want people to know that anyone can get a good job with the right help. I would like someone famous to visit The Hut. I know about keeping it private so they get some peace. In the future I would like to extend it to more huts on different beaches.

 Pictured above: Ty inside The Hut on Mersea Island

Local businesses in Mersea have been very supportive of Ty’s venture. Ty added:

The Little Beach Hut Company gave me advice about running a beach hut business. Fen Farm Caravan Park have given me some big support too. Chrissie Westgate is a great photographer and is going to do some photos for me. Lots of other people and local businesses have also been kind and helpful. Mersea Island is a good and kind place where people have helped me.

Louise Parkinson, headteacher at Doucecroft said:

It’s brilliant that Ty can feel a sense of achievement in his business and have a job where he can use his skills to bring joy to others.  We wish him all the best with his business and we are grateful that he has chosen to support Autism Anglia through donations too.

You can find out more about the Mersea Island Beach Hut Hire at https://thehutmerseaisland.co.uk/uk or www.facebook.com/thehutmerseaisland/

Pictured above: Ty wearing a t-shirt with the new company logo that he designed.