Norwood to expand its autism provision
After record turnout at dinner raising £3.2m, charity looks to meet demand for additional accommodation and services
NORWOOD IS working on a strategy to provide a range of services for those with high autistic care needs.
At the annual dinner of the children and families charity in central London on Monday — which raised £3.2 million — joint president Lady Mendelsohn told guests of an unmet demand for support.
Chief executive Elaine Kerr spoke afterwards of a “constant stream of inquiries for accommodation and care services for autistic young people with challenging behaviour. There is a dearth of provision both within and outside the community.”
Although the Tager Centre at the charity’s Berkshire village deals with such cases, Ms Kerr pointed out that it was always full — and, anyway, many families now wanted their children cared for closer to home.
It was important to become involved with those with significant care needs at the earliest possible stage, offering parents specialist input and services such as respite care.
“It is likely they will be with us for life so we have to get in right from the off.
“We can plan for the transition into accommodation services. Autistic people find transition very difficult.”
The intention is to launch the strategy in late spring and roll out services as quickly as possible.
Ms Kerr also wants to base more Norwood services in the Hertfordshire areas of high Jewish population. “If anyone knows of a site in Borehamwood, we would grab it.”
The dinner at Grosvenor House in Park Lane attracted a record 1,350 guests, including 400 young supporters, in keeping with the theme of “The Future Is Young”.
Charity chair David Ereira said Young Norwood members were more than fundraisers, also giving practical support through activities such as befriending. They were not just Norwood’s future leadership but that of the community.
Paying tribute to “our amazing volunteers”, Lady Mendelsohn went on to note that with statutory funding under strain, it was imperative to manage costs efficiently. But that did not make the charity any less ambitious.
“We make the best out of every situation we face. We never stop in our quest to provide outstanding service to anyone who needs it.”
Norwood has recently raised its profile through a pop-up shop in Selfridges in Oxford Street in partnership with three other faith organisations, which closed in late October.
Suitably inspired, it organised a charity shop collection point at the dinner, attracting 280 designer items, new or “pre-loved”.
Stella McCartney, Alice Temperley and Emilio Pucci were among the wellknown brand names.
Former South African President FW de Klerk was interviewed on stage by broadcaster Tania Bryer and Norwood clients told of its life-altering support.
Jodeci Joseph, 20 — who was diagnosed as bipolar at the age of 17 — said that before the charity came into his life, he felt “totally out of my depth” and “didn’t want to be in this world anymore”.
But, particularly with the support of his child and adolescent psychotherapist, he reached “the part of my journey where I began to break free”. The dinner proceeds will go towards the £12 million Norwood needs to raise from the community annually.
Ms Kerr told the JC that although it had been operating with a small deficit, there were heartening signs. For example, “we are starting to make a bit of traction with local authorities”, through more targeted funding applications. And the charity’s army of young supporters was “absolutely fantastic. They get inside the organisation and see both what we do and why we are needed. They are represented in every part of Norwood.”