Autism Guernsey needs to find £125,000 a year

The charity announced earlier this month that it was losing critical funding from BBC Children in Need after eight years of support, which had thrown its children’s services into doubt.

It has since been involved in fundraising and discussions with the States about developing a more sustainable funding agreement for its children’s and adult services.

A further meeting with the States is scheduled for the end of next month.

‘Hopefully we will know more then,’ Julia Watts said.

‘The fact that we are having dialogue is positive, however there is still a lot of uncertainty which is causing anxiety for parents, children, and us as well.’

A JustGiving page has raised £900 and some support and awareness, while it is understood that some individual donors have also approached the charity with offers of support.

Autism Guernsey is also organising fundraising events, including a night-time bike ride scheduled for 12 October.

Mrs Watts said that despite the imminent loss of funding, the charity was still meeting new people, with an average of five new clients a week.

‘We’ve got consultations booked up until October. That’s all we can offer at the moment and we are mindful to advise that we are in need of funding.

‘All six of our clubs are still running and we plan to keep those on until the end of the year.’

She added that the charity had received feedback from at least 100 islanders over the last two weeks, all of which expressed their gratitude for the work it did.

‘I get incredibly worried when I read the feedback – it really pulls on the heartstrings as it makes you realise the difference the charity makes to so many people,’ she said.

Susie Gallienne, family support coordinator at the Wigwam Support Group, said that autistic adults and children needed help to understand the strategies that they can use to help themselves.

‘Autism Guernsey provided that help,’ she said.

‘They worked directly with children, helping them to develop the strategies they need and helping them to understand, through their clubs and groups, that there are other children with the same challenges as them.

‘We all know how good it is to be able to relax in an atmosphere where we are understood.’

Wigwam has worked closely with Autism Guernsey, sharing some resources, running some courses together, and supporting each other, though Wigwam’s role is wider, supporting families with children of all additional needs and is not set up to specialise in autism.

‘Guernsey needs to support Autism Guernsey to continue their work with children because Guernsey’s autistic children need them,’ she said.