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Status
Received: on time
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Income
£54.9K
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Spending
£48.3K
- Charity no. 102894
- Date registered. 18/12/2015
Public benefits
The direct benefits flowing from purpose (a) include decreasing the sense of isolation so many beneficiaries experienced after a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, reducing distress, depression, anxiety and fatigue by providing a environment beneficiaries can talk openly and honestly about their feelings, to increase knowledge about Autism and
coping with the difficulties of caring for individuals with Autism, improving the confidence, self-esteem and social skills of the beneficiaries, allowing better integration in the community and improved employment opportunities. These benefits can be demonstrated by observing improvements in how the children interact in various social situations e.g. increased speech and eye contact. There have been noted improvements in how parents can cope with the daily struggles of family life and how the companionship of others in similar situations providing support in a non-judgemental environment has lead to improved physical and emotional well-being of the whole family. This has been demonstrated through increased membership numbers, which have risen from 5 to 22 over the past year and through feedback and words of thanks from beneficiaries. As an autism parent, I can vouch for how much it means to me to be part of Autism Support Kilkeel Diagnosis of Autism Disorders are increasing in Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland, most children can wait for over a year before they are clinically assessed for autism spectrum disorder and diagnosed so that they get interventions (a year is a long time for a parent to be left in the dark and even worse for a child who is already developmentally delayed and with significant speech or behaviour difficulties). The news is not much better following diagnosis of their children as a lot of parents are left feeling isolated, confused, exhausted and lonely as they try on a daily basis to care for children that are “uniquely” different and special with social, behavioural, emotional and communication problems on such a wide scale. They try to get the best for their child through the Education System and must undergo an onerous and lengthy statementing process which can take 9-12 months to actually try and get the help they need for their child. This is often a battle against the establishment as the Education System can only provide what it can fund and this is all too often not enough to meet the child’s needs. Access to therapies through the NHS is minimal due to funding and will get even worse. The Autism Support Kilkeel Group were there for me from the start of the process with access to a network of parents, education and learning, therapies and equipment for my son. My Husband best summed it up the other day to me by saying “Autism does not have to be a lonely place”. So a very personal and heartfelt thank you to everyone for your support. The direct benefits flowing from purpose (b) include a reduced stigma, increased awareness, acceptance and understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorder and how it affects individuals in Kilkeel and beyond. These benefits can be demonstrated by the membership numbers of the group which have risen from 5 to 22 over the past year and from feedback and words of thanks from beneficiaries. The purposes of our charity will not lead to any harm. The charity’s beneficiaries are people living with or suspected of having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families/carers in the Newry and Mourne area. There are no private benefits flowing from the purpose.
What your organisation does
We provide a free support and information service for families/carers with a family member having or suspected of having an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We aim to improve access to services in the Mourne Area e.g. Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Music Therapy and Sensory Integration therapy. We help those with an ASD achieve their maximum
potential for community involvement, social inclusion and the opportunity to access employment and other facilities enjoyed by other non Autistic members of the community. We seek to raise awareness of autism, educate the general public and share a wide range of information among our members and the local community.
The charity’s classifications
- The advancement of education
- The advancement of health or the saving of lives
- The relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage
Who the charity helps
- Adult training
- Carers
- Children (5-13 year olds)
- Community safety/crime prevention
- Ethnic minorities
- General public
- Learning disabilities
- Men
- Mental health
- Parents
- Physical disabilities
- Preschool (0-5 year olds)
- Sensory disabilities
- Sexual orientation
- Voluntary and community sector
- Women
- Youth (14-25 year olds)
How the charity works
- Advice/advocacy/information
- Counselling/support
- Cross-border/cross-community
- Disability
- Education/training
- Sport/recreation
- Volunteer development
- Youth development