Prior’s Court’s new identity
Hermitage-based charity for autistic young people unveils its vision for the future
PRIOR’S Court, the Hermitagebased charity providing support, educational and training opportunities to young people with autism, has unveiled its new ‘brand identity’ – complete with profiles of some of those in its care.
Two video case studies have been rolled out online, along with photographs of some young people.
These document life with autism and the role of the charity in helping autistic people realise their potential.
The photographs were taken by Lucy Bruce-Gardner, who deferred studying photography at university to work at Prior’s Court.
Prior’s Court chief executive Mike Robinson said: “Our new brand identity is a real reflection of our expansion over the years and our ambitions for the future.
“The young people are always at the heart of everything we do, so it seemed only fitting that they remain the focus for our brand refresh.
“Prior’s Court has come a long way over the past 21 years and we now provide a much broader service provision for young people aged five to 25 with complex autism.
“We additionally offer 52-week residential care, including a young adult provision, a training and development centre with world-class expertise,
our own research programme, a commercial bakery providing real work opportunities – and pioneering technology to help us better understand autism and our young people.
“We aspire to be global leaders in our field and to transform the lives of even more young people with complex autism.
“We strive to continually push forward with practice improvements and innovations to provide the best possible care, and felt the time was right to update our brand identity to better reflect the organisation Prior’s Court has become today.”
Among the video profiles is a piece casting a spotlight on Zac Robinson.
Ten-year-old Zac is from a Reading family and his story is told through interviews with his parents.
They accredit Prior’s Court with giving their son a new lease of life and a renewed sense of independence.
Zac’s mother Suzanne Robinson said: “I didn’t know very much about autism, but what I did know was influenced by what I had seen in the media.
“It was a very high-functioning kind of autism. I didn’t know how serious the condition could be.
“I didn’t know that it meant perhaps Zac would never be able to walk properly, or talk or use the toilet.
“You reach the realisation that you’re not the best person to look after your child which is heart-breaking because you feel like a complete failure – the one thing you are supposed to do is look after that child and keep them safe and we couldn’t do that.”
Zac’s father Matt said: “My proudest moment was being able to get Zac into Prior’s Court.
“I will never do anything that I am as proud as of that.
“Where so many people had written Zac off, [Prior’s Court] was somewhere where he would be at the heart of everyone’s day, to give him the life he deserves and needs.”
The profiles can be viewed online at priorscourt.org.uk