An adventurous young boy who attends Kibble’s primary school, is taking on an epic fundraising challenge to raise awareness of autism whilst raising vital funds for charity.
The incredible challenge will see our young explorer and a supportive adult from his house aim for a target of 10,000 steps a day, for eight consecutive days, to fundraise for UK Charity ‘Walk for Autism’. The duo are loving their daily walking adventures in nature and have already smashed their fundraising target.
Why We’re Walking for Autism
Across Kibble, a number of children are neurodivergent, and therefore it’s really important to us to raise awareness of neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, in order that people are supported, understood, and included in all aspects of our communities. A key part of this is to ensure young people get the care, support, education, activities, connections and opportunities that meet their overall needs, thus embracing and celebrating their individuality, communication and learning styles.
Our young walker absolutely loves the outdoors and thrives in the stillness of nature, often mimicking the sounds he hears from the birds in the trees and singing back their song. Hollie, who supports and accompanies him on his walks, recognised that this challenge would be great for him to be outside more in nature, help him to feel calm, and know he is joining a team of dedicated individuals helping people with autism live full and active lives. In addition, Hollie hopes the walks will mean he can enjoy using up the beautiful boundless energy he has that we all know and love.
In addition, Hollie hopes the walks will mean he can enjoy using up the beautiful boundless energy he has that we all know and love.
Taking Steps in Readiness
In the weeks leading up to the challenge, the pair eagerly prepared for the eight-day event. To help with this, they have been engaging in social stories so our young walker knows what to expect. This has been fantastic, and our adventurer is now sporting a new watch which tracks his daily steps in readiness for the challenge. Through their regular walks he is learning important skills including road safety, to look left and right, and to hold hands when near a road. Whilst he does not always communicate through speech, he prefers to use his incredible drawing talents to express his thoughts and feelings to others.
This is an important part of the challenge, ensuring our young fundraiser feels safe, and has structures and routines in place to help him along the way. Above all, this is his challenge, so all those around him are ready to celebrate in his achievements – both when he reaches his steps goal, and also on the days when it may feel too much. We’re all here to encourage him and help him to enjoy the experience.
Good luck to our wonderful team who are taking on this amazing challenge. They are joining an incredible community of fundraisers going the extra mile to create inclusive approaches that improve communication, understanding and access across communities for people with autism.