Left to right: Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, Mr Russell Race JP DL; Nicola August, Joint Chair; Jack Warner, Trustee; The Worshipful The Mayor of Medway, Councillor Habib Tejan; Vanessa Kelsey-Jansen, Trustee; Helen Jones, Joint Chair. (c) Kent Autistic Trust.

Mr Russell Race JP DL represented the Lord-Lieutenant at The Kent Autistic Trust’s 30th Birthday celebrations held at Chatham Dockyard on 19th July where the charity celebrated  achieving 30 years of providing services and support to people with Autism. This event was an opportunity to thank Trustees and celebrate the work of the Trust.

Christine Edwards Daem – CEO of the Trust said ‘30 years ago in 1989, 6 people moved into a home in Medway supported by 9 staff.… today in 2019 we support over 100 people in a variety of settings including: registered homes, specialist supported living, community based intensive specialist day services, a respite service and support groups across Kent and Medway. Our aim is us to ensure that people on the spectrum who may present with challenges remain in communities with their families supported by knowledgeable and experienced people.

The scope, direction and expansion of the Trust’s activities, is and will continue to be driven by the needs of the people we support. Our family support service support reaches out to over 5,000 people and we employ close to 300 staff.

All of our services are rated Good and 40% of our services are Outstanding; a great achievement! Our staff turnover is half of the national average in the care sector…that is also something to celebrate. All of our supporters have enabled us to do what we do best – creating bespoke and outstanding services to people on the autistic spectrum.’

Trustees were each presented with a Certificate of Appreciation,  endorsed by the Lord-Lieutenant, and pictured here is Mr Russell Race presenting Mr Jack Warner  with his certificate. (c)Kent Autistic Trust.

Deputy Lieutenant Mr Russell Race said ‘The voluntary work has been driven by passion to make a difference to others and in doing so the Trustees shaped a very remarkable Charity, unique in its approach and successful in the outcomes for people on the Autistic Spectrum, recognised by the Care Quality Commission by the astonishing achievement of Outstanding Services. It is worthy to celebrate this selfless commitment and mark this opportunity and hail the Trustees as a great example of community and voluntary service. People like the Trustees enrich communities and ensure that people who may be disadvantaged or need support have better lives.’