Warwickshire homebuilder pledges £1,500 to Autism Friendly Charity

A small registered charity supporting parents and carers in Rugby, Rugby Autism Network offers projects throughout the year including a 24/7 chat group, a library of books and equipment, real life support meetings, and autism-friendly events.

Fay McSorley, Chairperson of the Rugby Autism Network, said: “We will use the donation from Barratt Homes to support our ongoing projects. We offer five a year to our associate member families.

“We listen to what’s important to parents and carers. We hope to provide support tailored to the needs of our beneficiaries and we believe that our work is invaluable and unique.

“When you donate to local groups, it is more likely that all of the donation will go to those in need. We help over 300 families in and around Rugby, and our charity has just six volunteers who work tirelessly.”

There is a variety of projects that are continuously ongoing. Game On, for example, supports family with games and gaming equipment, and through Go Outdoors, families can receive annual parking passes for country parks.

Get Active gives families opportunities to get involved with active activities, the Family Day Out scheme has a bespoke range of family days out, and Love2Learn assists families with donations of stationery and school equipment.

According to the National Autistic Society, more than one in 100 people in the UK are on the autism spectrum. Autistic people have difficulties with interpretating both verbal and non-verbal language like gestures and tone of voice, which makes it harder for them to interact with other people and welcome in communities.

The projects run by the Rugby Autism Network help ease the pressure on people with autistic family members so that it is easier for neurodivergent people to be around others and embrace their communities.

Fay added: “All of the money we raise and donations are used to benefit our associate member families. We appreciate the donation as funding is becoming increasingly harder to obtain.”

The donation from Barratt Homes, based close to the charity at Elborough Place, was made as part of its Community Fund scheme via The Barratt Foundation. It is designed to support national and local charities, large and small, across the areas in which the housebuilder operates.

Adrian Evans, Managing Director at Barratt Homes West Midlands, said: “We are proud to support the Rugby Autism Network and its goal to bring families together.

“It’s important to help neurodivergent people connect to their communities in a safe space and create lasting memories with the people around them.”

To find out more information about the charity, visit the website at Rugby Autism Network.

For information about any developments in the area, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Warwickshire.