Doing our Best for the Beaver Scout Disability Badge!
Tracey and some of 1st Oulton Scout Group
On Friday 28 th February, our branch chair Tracey attended a Beaver Scout meeting in Oulton, near stone. The Beaver Scouts (6-8yrs old) were hoping to earn their Disability badge, and needed to understand how some disabilities are invisible.
Tracey talked to them about how important it is to start conversations with people, to understand different behaviours and different communication styles. They discussed the difference between being an eyewitness to a bank robbery, and a detective trying to find a motive.
The examples of X-boxes and Play Stations were used to talk about different operating systems and how people can be ‘wired’ differently. The Beavers learned about brains and how different they can be, even though they might look very similar from the outside. Importantly Tracey talked to them about how Autistic brains are different but just as good as neurotypical brains. The group got to see pictures of lots of autistic athletes, TV stars, scientists and engineers to understand that with the right support, autistic people can achieve anything.
The most important thing the group learned was about not judging people from their appearance; about the importance of talking to people, getting to know someone, starting a conversation. Being an eyewitness is great for describing someone to the police, but to understand a person, we need to take a bit of time, have patience and understanding, get to know them.
Tracey then helped the Beaver Scouts enjoy a range of sensory toys and understand how they might provoke different reactions in different people.
It was also lovely to witness several investitures that night and to watch the children enjoy each other’s company. They were a lively, curious and lovely bunch of beaver scouts and it was a pleasure to talk to them about Autism and invisible disabilities.
We hope they all get their badges soon!
Picture reproduced with necessary permissions granted.
2024 in review at NAS Stafford
Many thanks to you all!
In 2024 NAS Stafford received so much support to enable us to carry on doing the things we love for our members.
We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has come along to an event or activity and given a financial contribution, bought a raffle ticket or offered extra as a donation.
We are always grateful to Freedom Support; their generous donations throughout the year enable us to run our weekly Play Shed which gives autistic children and their siblings the opportunity to enjoy soft play in a supportive, inclusive environment. It gives them a chance to make friends and some of those friendships grow beyond Play Shed which is wonderful. Parents and Carers get a chance to meet and chat too - occasionally they get to finish a hot drink - result!
This year we began a new activity, our 8-12s Bowling Club. This was the idea of Committee Member and Volunteer Nia Wearn who offered her time every month to run it, supported by Volunteer Nicki Scarborough with invaluable help from branch member Zea Raines. We were also very grateful to Stafford Borough Council who gave us a grant to expand the club to 25 members when the club’s popularity meant that demand outstripped supply significantly. We hope to find new funding in the summer to continue that expansion.
There have been some incredible individual fund-raising efforts and donations.
We are so thankful to Matt Howell who ran the Shrewsbury Half Marathon for us, raising over £700 for the branch. This paid for the Panto and the Christmas Brunch for parents and carers this year! What a superb effort!
We would like to thank The Holmcroft Allotment Society for their generous fundraising donation of £220 which helped to pay for the Christmas Party at Littleworth this year.
Ashish Sunuway raised an incredible £750 for the branch through fundraising at his military base in the East Midlands. Incredibly we were his nearest NAS branch so we were fortunate enough to receive this donation. Ashish was pleased to learn that NAS Stafford supports some military families through the Beaconside Base.
Our member Zea Raines has done another incredible job of supporting NAS Stafford this year, along with her husband Steve. Zea has helped to gather raffle prizes at Easter and Christmas, (including the legendary tattoo voucher!) and their support at Bowling and Stay and Play is always immeasurably helpful. We would also like to acknowledge every parent and carer who helps out by packing away at the end of Stay and Play and other activities. When volunteers are short, your help is so valuable. Special mention goes to Committee Member Aimi Lacanivalu for finding space to store all of the bikes and trikes earlier this year during shed renovations at Littleworth - it saved us a fortune on storage. Thanks to Rick Moon and Mike Harrison and Isabel Harrison for stepping in at short notice to support us when we needed extra hands on deck. Thanks to Tracy Moon for the spectacular chocolate bouquets and other donations to the raffle as well as supporting at every holiday swimming session! A special shout out goes to Jon Douglas for being an amazing Santa yet again at the Christmas Party, he always gives a cracking performance!
Also thanks to Martin and Adele Halket for their support throughout the year, like so many people who help us, they have complex caring responsibilities but are generous with their kindness. We would like to say thank you to everyone who who has donated raffle prizes and smaller amounts to our branch. It all adds up and without these contributions we simply could not keep going. We are also grateful to those businesses such as Hurricane Gaming, Stafford Ten Pin, Ninja Warrior and Liquor Tank, who have offered us special rates for our activities.
A huge thank you to the Committee Members and volunteers who have, as always, gone above and beyond this year.
We couldn’t do it without the amazing Nicki Scarborough who was nominated, and received an award for, her volunteering this year. From Play Shed to Parent and Carer support and bowling club, she knows our members and is brilliant with the children and young people; if there is a potential problem on the horizon she usually spots it first and has a solution!
It was lovely to welcome Nia Wearn to our committee this year and to watch her bowling club take off with resounding success. Anyone who has visited our website recently also has Nia to thank for the fresh look and speedy updates. The much improved way we organised our summer programme this year was also thanks to Nia. Fabulous stuff!
We also welcomed Cara Nicholls and Aimi Lacanivalu to our committee and they have both offered their time, invaluable input and support throughout the year.
Liz Minshall, our secretary, has tackled the admin and has also helped us with contacts and events such as Hurricane Gaming; she has supported us at funding seminars and with outreach.
Julie Goodyear has supported us at many activities over the holidays and many of you will have seen her at Stay and Play and at the Panto. Her kindness, understanding and empathy are always appreciated by our members. We are also grateful to Sheanagh Gibbs and her son James who have helped us at Stay and Play.
Sheanagh is now the longest-standing member of the NAS committee and when her health allows we look forward to seeing her join us at future events.
We always miss the incredible Anne George after she stepped down from Committee last Christmas. It’s been lovely to see her as our guest at a few Stay and Plays, she is always welcome.
Behind the scenes is Ian Scott, our treasurer, who is efficient and reliable at sorting out the branch finances and nothing could get done without him!
Finally a thank you to all of our parent and carer members for coming along to this year’s activities: we have loved seeing you and your families, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2025. And if you are reading this as a non-member and thinking of joining for free, it could be a great way to start the new year! If I have left anyone out I do apologise, please let us know and we will amend the content to include you!
Warm wishes to you all for 2025 Tracey and the NAS Committee.
Youth Activity Group: Pumpkin Parade!
This October Youth Activity Group did something a little different. We headed to Lower Drayton Farm to explore the Pumpkin fields, pick some prize specimens, try our hand at carving and enjoy some spooky fun.
We were booked in at 6.30pm; as the sun set on the animatronic dinosaurs, volunteers Tracey and Nia, 20 young people and their tag-along adult companions went in search of the perfect pumpkin.
It was a little muddy, a little grubby, and a lot of fun. Our members pushed their barrows around a field filled with multi-coloured vegetables until they found ‘their’ pumpkin. Then it was off to the carving barn (via the food truck) to see how those pumpkins could be transformed.
There were a few expeditions to the Haunted Walks by some brave young people (shout out to the young man who did the grown-ups haunted walk eleventy billion times, loving every minute!)
A special “thank you” to the guy who decided to wait for Tracey around the corner of the supposedly ‘tame’ children’s walk and scare her into shrieking (I’m looking at you, Eli!)
Back in the carving barn the atmosphere was very relaxed and workmanlike. The pumpkins were taking shape and there were some amazing designs - from sharp teeth, howling faces, paw prints and cats on the moon, we loved seeing them all! This was overseen by the purple witch who kept her eye on things and made sure everyone was well-equipped with gloves, buckets and soapy water!
We have to admire the parents and carers who trudged over muddy fields, flexed their muscles whilst scooping, hacking, and stabbing, and let their young people take all of the credit. They insisted they were having a lovely evening but Tracey and Nia kept well away from the sharp Implements…
Many thanks to Lower Drayton Farm, always wonderful when we visit, inclusive, accepting and so very kind to us. We keep going back for a reason.
Enjoy the pictures - all reproduced with kind permission from parents, carers and the young people themselves. It was spooktacular!
**If you would like your young person, aged 11-17, to be part of the Youth Activity Group, email us on: stafforddistrict.branch@nas.org.uk
NAS Stafford Fundraising Superstars - September Edition
A huge thank you to Matthew Howell who has raised so far a whopping £715 for NAS Stafford. We are so grateful to Matt for running in the Shrewsbury Half Marathon for our charity! A massive well done to him for also achieving a personal best, and lots of love to his family who regularly attend our sessions!
NAS Stafford Fundraising Superstars - August Edition
As a charity we rely on donations to help us put on events - so a huge thanks to our Summer Fundraising Superstars - We really couldn’t do what we do without key support like this!
Many thanks to Ashish Sunuwar who made this very generous donation to NAS Stafford, after fundraising amongst his MOD colleagues. We are the closest branch to his barracks near Nuneaton (NAS branches can be a bit thin on the ground!) He was especially pleased to hear that we have military families as members, including on our committee!
We would also like to thank Andy Straw so much for his fabulous efforts doing a charity cycle for us! We rely on donations and this is very gratefully received by our committee, volunteers and, I'm sure, by all of our members! Thank you again, so much Andy!
Q&A with author Jensen Glennon-Dodd, author
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jensen Glennon-Dodd, author of the soon-to-be-published book Discovery.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jensen Glennon-Dodd, author of the soon-to-be-published book Discovery. I have known Jensen and his family for a long time, as part of our NAS Stafford Community, and have watched him grow up into a confident and articulate young man.
I was thrilled for him when I was told that he had found a publisher for Discovery and was keen to arrange a meeting where we could chat about his ideas and his inspirations. I am grateful to Jensen for offering me his time to talk about Discovery. We talked about many things in addition to the book, and the time flew by!
Q: Congratulations – how does it feel to be a published author?
It’s very satisfying to know that my work is wanted, that a publisher recognises that my work can help people.
Q: Tell me about the book, Discovery, what’s it about?
It’s about the importance of vitamins and minerals, what each one can do, where you can find them such as in food, natural herbs and oils. I also talk about any side effects, and throughout the book I advise people to consult their GP to be absolutely sure that what they are taking is going to be right for them. Each chapter details a different vitamin and mineral, in alphabetical order, so it’s easy to navigate. I also look at issues which target particular groups of people, such as menopausal women and the elderly.
Q: What inspired you to write Discovery?
I spotted a gap in the market; I used to work at Holland and Barratt in Stafford and I spoke to many customers who said that this sort of guide would be helpful. I realised that the most successful book of this kind was 40 years old and was much lengthier. It’s 4-5 times the length of my book! I thought something simpler and clearer was needed. I’ve always had an interest in healthy eating and even took a qualification equivalent to an A level in offering advice on vitamins and minerals. I was then able to write my own book, in my own way, a book I wanted to read – simple and straightforward, and something you can dip in and out of, and go back to when necessary.
Q: What was your writing process – a target of words a day/gradually/how long did it take to write?
I broke it down; I’d do a bit each day. I’d focus on each chapter for a week or two, the introduction then the different sections; then I’d proofread each chapter over and over again. It took me about twelve months to write but I loved doing it. It’s also taken just as long for the publishing process to complete!
Q: How did you find a publisher?
At first, I went on to the Penguin website and read an article on how to get published. I chose not to go down the self-publishing route because a traditional publisher will support you more and guide you through everything. I felt I needed the support of a big team. You also have a higher chance of being successful. I had to submit a synopsis and I did this to ten different publishers. I ended up with three offers, and I chose Pegasus Publishing partly because they were the first to offer me a contract; but I also read through their description of how they help authors through the process, and it seemed like they would be the most supportive. I can’t fault how they’ve treated me! I’m the kind of person who need answers to questions as soon as possible; I’ve had so many questions and they’ve been very good at responding within 24 hours to any queries I have.
Q: What has the publishing process been like?
I started with an editor, who dealt with the contract, and then I was passed on to a production co-ordinator who dealt with proof-reading, jacket design, writing the blurb, co-ordinating with me and generally overseeing everything. After I had signed off the manuscript to say that I was happy with all of the changes, I was assigned a marketing co-ordinator to promote Discovery. I provided her with contacts they could email such as radio stations, Facebook groups (including NAS Stafford!) and she has given Discovery a national placement with WHSmith. I almost can’t believe it; two years ago, I would never have thought I’d be in this position. I’m very excited to see my work going out there but very nervous. Will it be successful?!
Q: Do you see yourself as an inspiration to aspiring young authors, and aspiring autistic writers?
I hope so. I want to show autistic people that nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Just go for it! Be confident, never believe you can’t do it.
Q: What advice would you give to young people wanting to write about something that interests them?
Do it! When you write about something that interests you it doesn’t feel like work, it comes naturally. Even in the long winter evenings when I was putting in hours of work, I enjoyed it, and felt excited to do it. It also shows the world who you are as a person.
Q: You and your family have been members of NAS Stafford for a long time, and I’ve known you since you were very young. You’ve had challenges over the years, as an autistic person. Can you describe some of those challenges?
I think one of the main challenges for me was self-doubt, not always believing in myself as much as I should. Also, over-analysing criticism, and letting those who were critical of me get into my head instead of rising above it. Other people haven’t always believed in me too, and I want to show that I can do it, no matter what other people think or say.
Studying A level English, it was all about fiction; non-fiction interests me much more. I enjoyed writing non-fiction because I didn’t have to worry about whether I was using enough metaphors! I was able to write with a freedom and flair that perhaps I couldn’t experience when being limited to writing literary criticism.
Q: What are you planning to do next? Any more books?
I’m concentrating right now on marketing this book as well as I can but I’ve had a few ideas, perhaps writing a more child-friendly version, with an emphasis on the importance of nutrition. I could try to do my own illustrations but I think I’m better off relying on a professional!
Jensen’s book Discovery will be published on August 29th and is available to pre-order from WHSmith online.
https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/discovery/jensen-glennondodd/paperback/9781837943340.html
8-12’s Bowling Strikes gold
Last Thursday saw the first of our monthly bowling sessions at Tenpin Bowling in Stafford. It was a great success, lots of keen faces taking advantage of the newly refurbished bowling alley - and fantastic to see friendships being solidified and friendly rivalries born, and as the event organiser that was really exciting to see. It’s worth explaining how this came about…
When it was first suggested to us our son might be autistic, he had just turned 6 and it was a lightbulb went off - and we knew we needed support to navigate this journey and as great as the internet is, it isn’t the same as the support you get face to face, over a cup of tea. We started going to the Saturday stay and plays, and watching our son play alongside others - enjoying the trikes, activities and snacks. We also started going to the Play Shed on Wednesdays and for a while that was great too - and it gave us chance to catch up with other parents and share information and support. So when my son announced that he wanted to stop going to to play shed because he was too old for it, having turned 9 I was sad - knowing we were getting as much out of the sessions as he had been.
So, the bowling club idea was born - A organised activity for those who have outgrown the Play Shed and aren’t quite old enough for the Youth Group, or would’t have so much in common with them. It was also a chance for those parents to talk and catch up - share tips and issues with transition to high schools and everything else that comes with these almost teenagers. The joy of bowling is there’s gaps in between, it’s not full on for the whole hour, there’s spaces to let players calm and gather themselves, watch their opponents, eat some food, or do a victory dance. There’s a sense of accomplishment in getting a strike, or a spare - or even knocking any of the pins down.
We’re thankful for Tenpin for looking after us, making sure we had quieter lanes all togther and helping out when balls got stuck or bumpers needing raising. I’m also grateful for the help in getting this new club off the ground and the huge interest in places. The intense interest in places suggests that this is filling a gap much needed in the area - and it’s great to be able to help fill that a little.
The event on the 4th of June will have a few more places for budding bowlers and we’re applying for funding to expand out the places. drop the branch an e-mail to get onto the list for the next event and we’ll see you on the lanes
- Nia
EASTER AT NAS STAFFORD!
This Easter we had a lot of fun with spring activities and animals!
Our regular holiday Stay and Play at Littleworth Community Centre included the regular crafting, sensory and construction activities, but we also hired a small petting zoo to attend, courtesy of Nature’s Burrow.
Nature’s Burrow gave us opportunities to learn about, and interact with a variety of animals, including a magnificent barn owl, rabbits, a bearded dragon, and the cutest hedgehog!
Nicki and an owl
Our young people then enjoyed their party food whilst the NAS Easter bunnies hid the fluffy chicks. Once the cakes and rolls were scoffed, the easter chick hunt was on!
When the children had found some fluffy chicks, they traded them in for an easter egg, and NAS Stafford would like to thank Hearts and Hands for supplying us with 25 Easter Eggs for our families.
We held a raffle which raised £61 for our branch activities and many thanks go to Zea Raines for her hard work in finding raffle prizes, as well as Tracy Moon for another gorgeous Easter themed chocolate bouquet.
We all had a lot of fun at Stay and Play, with volunteers Nicki Scarborough, Julie Goodyear, Sophie Buckland-Povey, Sheanagh and James Gibbs and Zea and Steve Raines essential to the smooth running of the event. Look out for our next Stay and Play on 25th May 2024 at Littleworth Community Centre, 10,30am-12.30pm.
Autism and ADHD expert Laura Kerbey
Our next event was the Parent and Carer Support Group Webinar with Autism and ADHD expert Laura Kerbey. This took place of March 27th at 7.30pm via Zoom; it was a fantastic, almost two hours of detailed explanations of autism, ADHD, the crossover between the two and Laura’s personal experiences. Our summary of her webinar can be found on this website. If you would like the accompanying slides that formed her presentation, please email the branch.
Farmyard Fun times
Easter is a great time to visit the farm, and so in the second week of the holidays 57 members and three volunteers enjoyed all of the fun at Lower Drayton Farm. There is SO much to do at Lower Drayton; it is local and inclusive (they employ several autistic people) and they go out of their way to support us with quiet rooms and no queuing at the entrance.
Although the weather was typically wet for a NAS event, families enjoyed the huge soft play area, the slides, the sports area, and the indoor animals, as well as shows about reptiles and rabbits. The skies cleared in the afternoon and we could explore the outdoor spaces like the go kart track, the play area, the fire engine and tractors, the bouncing pillow and go on a hayride!
The cafeteria queues were a rather long so in future we recommend families bring a picnic which will cut down on their costs too. We were delighted that we were given free return tickets for all of the children in our party and we hope our families can enjoy another trip there – maybe when the weather is a little warmer!
Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and we look forward to visiting Lower Drayton again!
Autism Acceptance Week
Our final activity was on Sunday, the last day of the Easter holidays and also the final day of Autism Acceptance week. Volunteers Tracey, Tracy, Julie, and Nicki were at Asda Stafford with the NAS stand, sharing information about the support we offer. We also did some fundraising and were delighted to make over £90 for branch activities from generous donations by the public.
It has been a fantastic Easter, we have all enjoyed meeting everyone over the holiday and watching you all take part in the events and activities. We have also loved meeting new people and reaching out to our community.
Watch this space for news about Half Term and Summer!
Tracey at our stall in Asda
Richard shines at the London Marathon
At NAS Stafford we are always delighted to highlight the achievements of the wonderful people who make up our family. On Sunday our member Richard Booth, whose daughter regularly attends our youth group, ran the London Marathon. Read his story here.
At NAS Stafford we are always delighted to highlight the achievements of the wonderful people who make up our family. On Sunday our member Richard Booth, whose daughter regularly attends our youth group, ran the London Marathon. Read his story below.
I was running the London Marathon for Shine Cancer Support, a tiny charity but one of the only ones in the UK who support young adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s with a cancer diagnosis.
They supported my wife Kathryn, Alanna and I when Kathryn was diagnosed with Bowel Cancer in Oct 2018. She passed away in Oct 2022 following 7 operations and 3 courses of chemotherapy, and ironically it was on that day that I found out I had been successful in the ballot for the 2023 London Marathon. I couldn’t run that one as I didn’t have enough time to train so deferred to the 2024 race.
Whilst I have been running a for a number of years, it was the first time I’d attempted a marathon. I started the training in the new year and all went to plan. Despite seeing it on TV many times nothing prepares you for the number of people who line the streets to cheer everyone on. The first 15miles were amazing and I felt great, probably a little too fast but I was running so comfortably I decided not to change anything, then around mile 15 I could feel something was a little different in how I was running. By mile 18 my right leg had pretty much stopped working and I had slowed down considerably. Luckily the tens of thousands of people screaming my name pushed me along to the finish.
My time was 4hrs 25mins 59secs. As it currently stands including Gift Aid we’ve raised over £5350 for Shine Cancer Support which will help them so much in what they do.
Youth Group @ PixelBlasters
A fab night at Pixelbusters for the youth group and many of their parents! This amazing arcade full of retro and some modern games kept our members entertained for a good two hours. This is our 2nd visit to this gem of a place in Stoke - it won’t be our last.
Teens and Tweens are often overlooked when it comes to activities for young people. This group for Highschool aged children looks a hosting different activities every month- Email or message the branch to go on the mailing list.
Summary of Laura Kerby’s talk
Summary of Laura Kerbey’s Presentation
At our parent and carer support group last night, we were delighted to welcome Laura Kerbey, an expert in the field of Autism and ADHD. Diagnosed with ADHD herself, and self-diagnosed autistic, Laura has two children with SEND including autism.
The even fuller full write up from can be found here
At our parent and carer support group in March 2024, we were delighted to welcome Laura Kerbey, an expert in the field of Autism and ADHD. Diagnosed with ADHD herself, and self-diagnosed autistic, Laura has two children with SEND including autism.
Laura talked us through current and recent developments in autism presentation and assessment. The first thing she emphasised though was that although autism is classed as a disability, it is often an autistic person’s environment which is the disabling factor.
She feels that the official figure that 1/100 people are autistic is misleading – they are the ones who are diagnosed. There may be many, many others who are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, particularly older people, girls, and women. She recommended writing by Catherine Asta, The Late Discovered Club which tackles this issue. https://www.catherineasta.com/work/thelatediscoveredclub/She talked about the spectrum as a colour wheel with autistic people presenting with different strengths and challenges and that to label someone ‘High’ or ‘Low’ functioning is to do them a disservice.
Laura also talked about the theory of Monotropism which is a relatively new but important area of research in Autistic presentation. Monotropism, literally translated means ‘Single Tunnel of Interest’ and was developed by the late Dinah Murray. Her son, Fergus Murray has continued research into this field and his writing is recommended.
https://monotropism.org/about/
Laura talked us through the various presentations of autism such as being unable to see someone’s point of view (It’s not stubbornness, which implies a wilful decision NOT to see another person’s point of view) and not being able to see the bigger picture, difficulties with generalisations and imagination. She recommended writing by autistic people Ros Blackburn and Dan Beadle and explained that Ros’s comment ‘I can’t imagine something I have no experience of’ taught her a lot about the challenges autistic people have with imagination. https://uniquelyhuman.com/.../logically-illogical-an.../
One important thing Laura talked about was eye contact, and how it is an unreliable indicator that some is autistic or not. Her company do not use it in their assessments as it can change over time, depending on circumstance, and vary from individual to individual. I know some of our families are still meeting this hurdle in some NHS assessments so it was good to hear this from Laura (but very frustrating!)
Amongst other possibly familiar presentations, Laura talked about an autistic person experiencing Alexithymia, difficulty recognising emotions, not being able to tell the difference between, for example, anger, excitement, and anxiety which can lead to confusion and misunderstandings.
Laura described that there is a big crossover between Autism and ADHD and many of the 5% of the population who are diagnosed with ADHD are also autistic. There are three presentations of ADHD – Hyperactive, Attention deficit or a combination of the two. The most common is the combined diagnosis.
One important aspect of ADHD that Laura was keen to discuss was Rejection-Sensitivity Dysphoria. This means that individuals with ADHD are highly sensitive to criticism - even slightly negative comments can be devastating. This means that people with RSD are also sensitive to disapproval, have raised anxiety and become people pleasers, which means they are very vulnerable. It can affect their self-esteem and lead to feelings of hopelessness and a fear of failure, and in turn to avoidance of social situations. It can also lead to emotional outbursts and aggression following feelings of hurt and rejection. In relationships there can be an anxious attachment style, where the person with ADHD can appear to be very needy which results in them pushing people away.
Laura shocked us all by saying that there is evidence that children with ADHD receive 20,000 more negative comments by the time they are twelve, than their neurotypical peers. 20,000. You read that right.
Laura then took questions on a range of topics such as eye contact, medication, and masking. You can follow Laura on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/LauraKerbeyPast
Thanks for having us ASDA
A fantastic day at Asda - so many people to chat to, to let them know we are here, and here to support in so many different ways! People were very generous and we raised nearly £90 in donations, thanks to the generosity of the public. Many thanks to Asda Stafford for having us!
Thank you to Nicki, Tracy and Julie for putting in a shift at the stand. x
What Have We Been Up To, So Far This Year?
NAS Stafford have packed a lot into the first four months of 2023!
As well as running our weekly Soft Play Sessions at The Play Shed, we have also hosted three parent and carer sessions.
Our first parent and carer session featured the incredible Daniel Jones from The Aspie world who talked about his experiences as an autistic man and the very popular YouTube channel he runs. We are always keen to platform autistic voices and Daniel gave us great insight into his world. With this in mind we also hosted The Staffordshire Adults Autistic Society who told us about the work they do to support adults in Staffordshire. We are very grateful to Liz and Salwa for their time (and we ran over time quite a bit on this occasion!) In February our friends and co- members of NAS Stafford, Julia and Tracey from Pro-SEN Support services gave us some excellent advice around the EHCP process and their support was invaluable.
Future groups hope to look at diet, and SEND, and one of our upcoming sessions will offer a chance for a face-to-face meeting.
Half term saw our holiday Stay and Play session with face painting from Cosmic Faerie. There were some remarkable designs on show! We also treated our parents and carers to a special afternoon tea because sometimes the adults need spoiling! At our Easter Stay and
Play we welcomed Nature’s Burrow with their wonderful petting zoo, and the children interacted with the animals beautifully, in their own time and on their terms, whilst the staff made sure of the animals’ well-being. This was followed by an Easter Egg hunt, and an Easter tea party. There were also some amazing Easter Bonnet designs!
We were lucky enough in February half term to receive another generous donation from the Sheltonia Masonic Lodge, which enabled us to offer one of our very popular family fun float swimming sessions at Stone Leisure Centre. We would like to thank Chris Miles from the
Lodge for supporting us and it was a huge pleasure to meet him and his wife when they came along to the swimming session; they were delighted to see how many people took part.
NAS Stafford is always happy to provide information and outreach and this April Tracey and Julie gave the Understanding Autism talk to the over 55s Tuesday Mixer Club. This was very well received and we spoke to many of the Mixer Club members individually after the talk was done. Over the coronation bank holiday Tracey also represented NAS Stafford at The Big Help Out in Victoria Park, and it was great to see how many people turned out in spite of the weather. Fortunately, the rain held off for most of the afternoon! NAS Stafford is also hoping to collaborate with the Autism Pyramid Group in Uttoxeter, not least because we have members in common. Watch this space!
We have welcomed many people, new and long-standing members, to our NAS family so far in 2023, and we look forward to continuing to provide events, activities, outreach, and support to many more throughout the rest of the year.
Look out for details of our summer programme, coming soon!
Youth Activity Group
IN MARCH NAS STAFFORD LAUNCHED OUR NEW YOUTH ACTIVITY GROUP.
Teens and Tweens are often overlooked when it comes to activities for young people. NAS Stafford has always been very proactive at arranging events for Children and for Parents and Carers, whilst The Staffordshire Adults’ Autistic Society does a great job of supporting over
18s and those transitioning into adulthood. However, we recognise the need to be much more supportive of our Teenagers.
In the past we were able to run a youth club where young people could come independently of parents and carers and make friends and be independent in a supported way. However, since 2020 our Head Office advised us that parents and carers must attend every event with
their children which meant we couldn’t re-start our Youth club after lockdown restrictions eased. This was hugely disappointing for us.
We knew we needed to do something and in 2022 experimented with a few targeted activities for teens and tweens, In the Summer we arranged a Clip and Climb event, and during October half term we took young people to the indoor Skate Park in Newcastle. Both
of these activities were popular and so we decided to do something more formal.
In January we held an initial meeting for young people interested in being part of a Youth Activity Group.
The aim of the group was to provide more targeted activities for young people of High School or equivalent age.
At the meeting we discussed what sort of things the Young People would like to do and drew up a charter to ensure the group was safe, welcoming, and inclusive.
In March we had our first event, and 12 Young People came bowling. Tracey ran the eventand our peer volunteer Lola came along too to support. Everyone had a lot of fun!
Our next event is in a week’s time, 15 Young People will be going adrenalin Tubing at Stoke Ski Centre and we hope they enjoy it! In the future we hope to host events such as Gaming, Mini Golf, Ninja Warrior, Pizza night, to name a few!
If you would like your High School age child to be part of the Youth Activity Group, drop us an email! You will go on the dedicated mailing list and get advanced notice of the activities we offer. There is no obligation to join in with anything, and your young person can dip in and out of the activities as they choose.
Email or message the branch to go on the mailing list.
Summer 2022 with NAS Stafford
We have had a wonderful summer!
Families have enjoyed nine very different activities, with costs to families kept down as much as possible.
Read all about them, and see the photos here!
We have had a wonderful summer!
Families have enjoyed nine very different activities, with costs to families kept down as much as possible.
We began our summer with the Wolseley WildChild experience. Pond-dipping was a big hit, children and adults alike loved exploring the muddy water for all kinds of wildlife. At the outdoor classroom we could make bird feeders - great for our kids who like structured activities! Meanwhile, our young people who preferred to do their own thing escaped into the wooded area for den-building, tree-climbing and general scampering about Pippa, our activity guide, was amazing with the children and made all of the activities so much fun. Our next event a few days later, was the Commonwealth Games-themed Stay and Play. Young people completed sporty challenges to earn medals and make medals for their parents and carers. Everyone was a winner!
Week Two saw us enjoy an afternoon at Our Space, a super adapted outdoor adventure playground and indoor soft play centre for families with additional needs. There were bikes, climbing frames, slides, swings and much more to enjoy. Parents and carers agreed that it was such a calm and peaceful environment, they felt relaxed and comfortable. There was plenty for siblings to enjoy too. Big smiles for everyone!
On Week Three we provided an activity for Tweens and Teens; Clip and Climb was a huge success. Everyone got stuck into the climbing walls and young people pushed themselves to meet the challenges. It was fantastic to watch them but even though they were well harnessed in, volunteers sometimes had to shut their eyes! The very next day we were back at Stone for an exclusive float swimming session. On a really hot day this was very popular. Staff at Stone Leisure Centre were fabulous, encouraging the young people to swim, jump, and mess around in the water!
Week four was Monkey Forest week. Over 50 people visit the forest with us. The weather had cooled a bit, but the rain held off - which meant the monkeys were more active and we saw so many - including babies! On Friday of week four we hosted a Bubble picnic, a drop in event where we provided bubbles for our families and were on hand to support at Beacon Park in Lichfield. NAS Stafford volunteers enjoyed getting together, whilst providing sporting equipment from Stay and Play stores for families to enjoy.
Week five was the main event, 60 members went to Lower Drayton Farm, a vast space with a huge indoor play area, petting zoo with outside adventures and animals. There was a dino maize maze and tractor rides, go karting, alpacas and much more! The rain stopped halfway through the visit and we all enjoyed some outdoor fun! The farm provided quiet rooms for our members and the staff were just lovely.
Our final event in week six was at the Special Needs Adventure Playground in Cannock. Families enjoyed a safe and supportive environment for lots of outdoor fun and games. We welcomed familiar faces and new members and the weather was perfect.
This summer 66 families have accessed 226 places on our activities and we have loved seeing you all!
Many thanks to volunteers Lindsey Douglas, Anne George, Julie Goodyear, Tracy moon and Nicki Scarborough for their amazing support. Our summer programme could not have gone ahead without their input. The rest of the NAS committee have also been brilliant with the ideas, the finance, and the admin involved. We would also like to thank everyone who donates to our branch, or has donated in the past, to keep these activities going!
We look forward to seeing you all in the coming months and have some lovely plans for the autumn and winter. Thank you for the joy of sharing your summer with us!
Christmas Party 2020!
We know what an important role NAS Stafford can play in the lives of local families affected by autism; young people who attend our Stay and Play, Soft Play, Youth and Social clubs have somewhere to let off steam, make friends and try new things, but what happens during a pandemic?
2020 - what a difficult year! At NAS Stafford we were devastated to have to cancel our usual face-to-face clubs and activities just before the first lockdown in March.
We know what an important role NAS Stafford can play in the lives of local families affected by autism; young people who attend our Stay and Play, Soft Play, Youth and Social clubs have somewhere to let off steam, make friends and try new things, whilst their parents and carers can have a chat, exchange ideas and information, maybe feel more connected.
We wondered what we could do to try to continue our support. So in late spring we began to host Parent and Carer support groups via the Zoom platform, and found that they worked really well. In the summer we began to distribute our first lot of activity packs, and then we were lucky enough to get the Tesco Covid grant to enable us to do a second lot of outreach to a wider population.
But Christmas?
What could we do for the festive season? Normally we would have a Christmas Fair to raise funds, a Christmas Party, with pizza and a magician, and receive panto tickets to distribute.
The committee would have a very civilised(!) meal together and we would do some fundraising and awareness-raising at local Christmas events.
This year, all of that was on hold. Bah, Humbug!
But hang on - the ghost of Christmas NAS arrived and told us that we could do better! So we decided to deliver a third lot of Christmas themed, tinkly, twinkly activity packs, in time for our first NAS Stafford online Christmas party!
This was also done via Zoom, and although there were a few technical issues (I think the ghost of Christmas past was technology avoidant...) eventually we all came together, and had a blast! We did crafts together, had a Christmas Quiz, the delightful Megan led us as we belted out Christmas songs and Carols - even Batman and Spiderman joined us to promise to keep us all safe this Christmas!
We had advertised a free prize draw with the suggestion that donations were made to our JustGiving page, and at the Christmas party we drew the winners. Four very happy people became the recipients of Avon goodies, Chocolate goodies and one rather enormous cuddly dog! Our prize draw raised £62 - thank you to everyone who donated and took part and congratulations to the lucky winners!
More than anything, it was a joy to see familiar faces, to hear children’s voices shouting hellos to their friends, and for others to message each other about their favourite things.
Parents and Carers waved to each other and signalled through their smiles that yes, it had been a challenge, but we were all still here.
So we go into the new year perhaps a little wary of what 2021 may bring, but in the knowledge that NAS Stafford is a true community - the committee will always try to provide opportunities to bring people together and support the Stafford ASC community whatever the situation, but our families are the beating heart of who we are.
We miss you all and we hope that sooner rather than later, in 2021, we will be able to see you all again, at our clubs, our trips, our parties and activities.