Look out for a 'tiger' on the loose in Morecambe and Lancaster soon to raise awareness of a very good cause.
Diana Heyes will be out and about in our local area dressed as a tiger to raise awareness of autism.
Diana, from Morecambe, runs a group called A Spectrum Connection to provide social activities, support and advice to autistic people.
She has decided to don the tiger costume to show that "it's okay to be different".
Diana will be out and about in Morecambe on Saturday September 9, first of all for coffee at the Brittlestar wine bar at 9am, then at the Brew Me Sunshine cafe on Victoria Street at around 10.30am, and will be available to talk to people about the project.
She will then head over to Lancaster Castle for coffee at around 3pm and might even pop to Morrison's inbetween to surprise the shoppers!
Diana, an autistic learning disability nurse, set up A Spectrum Connection seven years ago.
"It was originally to provide a safe social space for my youngest son and his peers," she said.
"A place where they could be themselves.
"In 2019, I won a health hero award for the group, which was a bit of a shock, as the group has been something 'I just do.'
"The Morecambe social hub is now well established, providing social activities, peer support and advice. The private online group now has over 200 local members, and is an important resource for sharing tips and ideas, the latest research and also keeping people updated with group activities.
"My last job was as a nurse for a specialist NHS team, which provided a very valuable service for autistic adults in crisis.
"While working here, it was obvious, that there were huge gaps in provision for autistic adults, needing a more proactive service.
"Statistics show that autistic people have poorer health outcomes, with autistic people being at higher risk of suicide and self harm than non autistic people.
"Six out of 10 autistic adults have considered suicide, with 35 per cent attempting. Shockingly, stats also show that only 16 per cent of autistic adults are in full time employment.
"The barriers to accessing healthcare, education and employment are complex, but not impossible to address with the right knowledge and support."
ASC now also has a social hub in Lancaster to compliment the Morecambe one, which includes a film buddies club and a pub club.
All activities are created to offer relaxed, no pressure social opportunities, increase friendships and reduce social isolation.
The group is also looking to provide bespoke 1:1 advice and signposting, which has been trialled with great success, to members with any issues or challenges they may be facing, as well as coaching, mentoring and post diagnostic positive identity work.
All of these services are provided free of charge, overseen by Diana and her co-director Mia Kiuru on a voluntary basis.
"However, as we grow, extra costs are being incurred, and realistically we do need money to continue our valuable work," said Diana.
A crowdfunding page has been set up with all money going to support autistic people in Lancaster, Morecambe and the surrounding area.
What is autism?
Autistic people may:
- find it hard to communicate and interact with other people
- find it hard to understand how other people think or feel
- find things like bright lights or loud noises overwhelming, stressful or uncomfortable
- get anxious or upset about unfamiliar situations and social events
- take longer to understand information
- do or think the same things over and over
Being autistic does not mean you have an illness or disease. It means your brain works in a different way from other people.
It's something you're born with. Signs of autism might be noticed when you're very young, or not until you're older.
If you're autistic, you're autistic your whole life.
Autism is not a medical condition with treatments or a cure. But some people need support to help them with certain things.
It's also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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