Yorkshire West Riding
Children and Young People, Grants to charities
West Yorkshire families with autistic children receive support
Alife is clearly happy with the results of his face-painting of senior Yorkshire Freemason, Mike Wrigglesworth
More than 20 families with autistic children can be supported thanks to a grant from Yorkshire, West Riding Freemasons.
A £15,000 grant will help the Airedale & Wharfedale Autism Resource (AWARE) group to provide much-needed residential weekend breaks for the children.
There has been a significant increase in the need for family support as referrals to the Bradford and Craven Neuro Diversity Assessment Services have increased by 154 per cent since 2020.
AWARE are a small parent led group based in Keighley, West Yorkshire covering the Airedale, Wharfedale, Bradford and Craven districts.
Currently AWARE are supporting 1,500 families with autistic children and young people. They provide advice, information and the opportunity for families hit by an autism diagnosis to share their experiences.
AWARE offer an impressive programme of support ranging from play and leisure activities for autistic children and their siblings; youth clubs; play schemes during school holidays, cookery clubs, residential activity breaks and a ‘Moving On Club’ for young Adults.
The benefits of having the grant are already being felt with AWARE able to offer a yearly, young person’s residential weekend that will benefit 14 families per event as well as fund some play activities.
We’re really grateful to the Freemasons for the grant as it will enable us to build on the support we offer to families in the Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven areas. A diagnosis of Autism has a significant effect on the whole family and thanks to the grant we can offer support and practical help to even more families.
I’m very pleased we have been able to help Airedale & Wharfedale Autism Resource with their vitally important work helping families deal with the trauma of having a child diagnosed with Autism. This is an important community project, and I’m delighted that money raised by Freemasons will be going to such an important cause.
