Recently, Marple College students Emmy Hornby and Beth Harper took it upon themselves to organise a fundraiser during Autism Awareness Week (28th March-3rd April), for the local autism support charity FACT. This week was especially important to Beth and Emmy, as they have both faced unique challenges whilst growing up with autism, and know first-hand what additional support can do for children and young people like themselves.
“Charities like FACT are beneficial to many individuals with additional needs by providing a safe environment where children and young people can flourish and develop in their own individual ways”
Beth Harper
“FACT has been organised by families and friends who recognise what the benefits of additional care and therapy can bring when applied in conjunction with the normal day to day techniques autistic children get from their respective schools”
FactAutism.org.uk
The girls managed to raise £183.00 for the charity by completing 600,000 steps between them during Autism Awareness Month (April), which will be greatly appreciated by FACT.
Destigmatising Autism in Schools and Colleges
However, Beth and Emmy’s efforts weren’t limited to their fundraiser as they both provided Trafford College Group with a valuable insight into their lived experiences as young people with autism and how the education system has served them. Their videos have been used across the college as part of a training package delivered during World Autism Acceptance Week and they have both permitted these brilliant videos to be used in training across Stockport borough at schools and colleges.
In an interview with Emmy, she expressed the importance of destigmatising autism within the education system, as well as spreading the key message that autism has a wide spectrum, meaning autistic pupils need varying degrees of support.
Marple College is extremely proud to have Emmy and Beth as voices for the autism community and are sure they will further contribute to changing the conversations around autism in the future.
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