Celebrating World Autism Awareness Week in Barnsley

A day of art, music and performances have been arranged to mark the start of World Autism Awareness Week on Friday 27 March.

The day will see staff from the Trust team up with Creative Minds partner Creative Recovery for a day of celebrations at St. Mary’s Church in Barnsley.

Creative Minds is a nationally acclaimed initiative run by the Trust that supports projects in local communities that use creativity to boost health and wellbeing.

Starting at 10am experts from the Trust’s autism spectrum conditions service will be on hand to talk about autism and the local support on offer. The day will culminate with an evening of live music, poetry and food.

Stephen Simpson, specialist nurse practitioner for autism from the team said, “We’re really looking forward to bringing everyone together and celebrating the day in style. We’d love to see as many people as possible come along and get involved, especially people living with autism, their families, carers as well as professionals who support people with autism.

“People with autism living in our communities can feel isolated and we want to take this opportunity to reach out to them and show them they aren’t alone.”

Rhiannon Rees is a member of Creative Recovery and her experiences have driven the development of the event. She said, “It has given me a sense of wellbeing and I feel part of a community for being me. This event is giving me the chance to say how autism affects me and reach out to others who may be feeling the same. I finally feel free to be me.”

Photos from the event