‘When COVID hit we were desperate to keep going’
Maidenhead: Grant helps The Autism Group provide for users during pandemic
A Maidenhead-based charity helping young people on the autism spectrum has used a Louis Baylis Trust grant to keep providing for its users during the pandemic.
The Autism Group, which serves youngsters and their families from across East Berkshire, benefited from £1,000 in the latest round of trust grants.
Training co-ordinator at the charity, Dawn Kohn, explained how this money was spent on moving resources online to adapt to the lockdowns.
The Autism Group specialises in activity clubs and social opportunities for young people, while it also offers home family visits and parent workshops.
“When COVID hit we were desperate to keep something going for our young people,” Dawn said. “And it really hit very hard.
“We were keen not to lose that link with them. The team moved everything very quickly, where possible, to online.”
The grant has helped set up and run a number of digital programmes that the charity would normally be hosting face-to-face.
Young people are able to play video games over Zoom, an art club is running virtually, while parent workshops are still happening over the computer to support families.
Work that youngsters create is then shared on the charity’s social media accounts and website. Dawn said that The Autism Group’s social channels have grown during lockdown, with an emphasis on reaching a wider audience.
“We have managed to keep going, every penny is really vital to us.” Dawn added. “It has been a challenging time, but the sheer resilience of our young people and those facing additional challenges, is inspiring. It is humbling to work with them.
“Our parents our incredible, trying to juggle home schooling, working, and providing for their children.”
Dawn also explained how for some people on the spectrum, getting ‘back to normal’ after the pandemic could take time.
She added that the pandemic can add to the anxiety some users feel when surrounded by ‘scary news’ and a change to the regular routine.
“They are going to need a lot of support when it goes back into a more normal routine. It is not going to be overnight,” she said.
For more information on the charity, visit www.theautismgroup.org.uk