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Autism Northern Ireland, a charity providing support and information to families and those living with Autism across Northern Ireland, has been awarded a prestigious GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Award worth £25,000.
The annual awards, run in association with the independent health charity the King's Fund, are in their 11th year and recognise and reward the work of small to medium sized charities that are doing excellent work to improve the health of their communities.
Autism NI is one of ten charities to beat over 400 entrants from across the UK and its work was formally recognised at a ceremony in London's National Gallery on 29 April 2008.
Autism is a complex developmental disorder that affects the way a person communicates and relates to people. Autism NI was set up in 1990 and provides parent training workshops, home visits and family support services, local support groups, plus much needed information and accredited training for professionals. It is estimated that over 20,000 people have Autism in Northern Ireland with approximately 300 children diagnosed every year.
Linda Miranda, Fundraising and Marketing Director, commented:
"We are delighted to have been awarded a GlaxoSmithKline IMPACT Award. It is a real testament to our work and the efforts of our committed team. The financial boost of this award will help us to continue our core service of providing support and information to those affected by Autism."
Autism NI is the only organisation in Northern Ireland that provides a comprehensive range of services for families and professionals dealing with Autism. It has over 100 volunteers who are members of the 17 branches and support groups spread across Northern Ireland. As a parent led initiative it deals with around 10,000 requests for advice each year via its dedicated helpline and drop-in locations, or through letters and emails. It also sends out approximately 5,000 information packs annually.
Katie Pinnock, Director of UK Corporate Contributions at GlaxoSmithKline, said:
"This charity has done an amazing job of supporting families of those with Autism, and informing health professionals about treatment. It is to be commended for its work in helping to reduce the isolation and stress that is often caused as the result of the condition."
Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the King's Fund, commented:
"Autism NI is a genuine trailblazer - it provides invaluable support to families with young children from the time when they are awaiting diagnosis to pre school training. It knows that early intervention is vital for children with Autism and has worked tirelessly to ensure these families get the attention and support they need. A fantastic winner."
This year through the IMPACT Awards, GlaxoSmithKline has given £300,000 to community health charities. Ten winning charities receive £25,000, five highly commended are awarded £5,000 and five runners up £3,000. This year also sees the launch of the GSK IMPACT Awards Development Network, run in partnership with the King's Fund, which provides training workshops for the winning and highly commended charities.
Over the last 11 years, GlaxoSmithKline has recognised 220 community healthcare charities in the UK, with awards totaling more than £2 million. The aim is to support those working at the cutting edge of health care, dealing with some of the most difficult and distressing social issues, and helping to improve the health of communities across the UK.
For more information about Autism NI visit www.autismni.org
Find out more about the Impact Awards at www.kingsfund.org.uk/funding/gsk_impact_awards/index.html
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Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action is registered as a company limited by guarantee in Northern Ireland (No 1792) and is registered as a charity for tax purposes with the Inland Revenue