I recently attended the Autism Breakfast reception at Number Garry Mckinnon, the event was put on by Sarah Brown,
I personally think more people should have attended who are on the spectrum, i would like to see charity’s networking but im not sure this would happen, there are three National Charity’s who want to build a ten million pound Autism centre i mentioned this to Sarah, WHY? cant they all network together i guess they all have a different agenda’s , but all want a Autism centre all in the same city, which does not make the slightest sense at all, i think service ussers should be more involved in Autism Charity’s after all they know what is needed and what support they require, i gave Sarah a copy of my book, i did want to talk to Sarah about Gary Mckinnon but there was no time at all as soon as the breakfast reception ended we were spilt into groups, i got up and spoke and addressed all and said how important it was to have a diagnostic service for Adults, and that Adults get IGNORED when it comes to services, also i mentioned the importance of networking with other charity’s, recently i wrote to 40 odd Autism charity’s to ask them to support the Garry Mckinnon campaign only 5 wrote back which i was very disappointed with.
Sarah Brown brought together guests from Autism charities at Downing Street to pool ideas and resources to help their sector.
The Prime Minister’s wife hosted a reception to celebrate the work of the various charities and to look at ways that the sector can work together even more effectively to achieve it’s common aims.
Following the reception, Liz Blackman MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, led a break-out session at which representatives from different charities discussed specific topics relating to Autism.
Subjects included how to reach out to the broader voluntary sector community and how to work together on core messaging regarding stigma and behaviour surrounding Autism.
Sarah Brown also took part in the group discussions, and was joined by Health Minister Phil Hope and Minister for the Third Sector Angela Smith.
Phil Hope spoke to guests about government strategy on autism and the role that government can play whilst Angela Smith emphasized how the third sector can be a bigger advocate for social change
Ivan Corea Said
The UK Autism Foundation joined autism charities at Downing Street. The reception and discussion convened by Sarah Brown was to celebrate the work of the charities in the autism sector and discuss ways that the charity sector can work together to achieve a common aim. Sarah Brown focused on her experience of charitable work and the important role that the third sector can play.
Attending the reception were Phil Hope MP, Minister of State for Care Services at the Department of Health and Minister for the Third Sector, Angela Smith MP.
Ivan Corea of the UK Autism Foundation called for new ways of thinking and new ways of working, where autism is concerned. He also raised many issues concerning parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome including the problems of obtaining blue badges for parents and carers of children and adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.
Among those who attended the function was the autism campaigner Kevin Healey, Chair of the Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society. UKAF has called for a national campaign backed by all the autism charities, to celebrate the success of people with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome and using positive role models such as Kevin Healey, Stephen Wiltshire and others. ‘Children and adults with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome also need role models,’ said Ivan Corea.
