ASCape awarded close to £10,000 in lottery funding

Community group, ASCape has been awarded £9,905 from the National Lottery Community Fund to extend its work with children living with Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) or on the diagnostic pathway, and their families.

The group, previously known as the Bridport ASD and Social Anxiety Group, has been running since 2018. It is staffed by 12 volunteers.

It supports children throughout west Dorset and hopes to use the funding to run more activities and also provide further support sessions for their parents.

Prior to the pandemic, the group was running weekly sessions - attended by around 15 local children - in which they were able to share their experiences with the group, along with trying their hands at activities such as messy art, music, yoga and playing games.

The sessions were designed to help the children make new friends and to gain confidence, self belief and social skills. They also provided parents with the opportunity to meet people in similar situations and to share and gain support.

Karen Wright, one of the founders of ASCape, said: “We are delighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way. As a result of this funding, we will be able to press on with our plans to broaden the range of opportunities available to local children with ASC and their parents.

"This is important because it helps both the children and the parents to build relationships with others facing similar challenges and to create their own supportive circles of friends and peers.”

The funding, along with funding received from the lottery in March 2020, will enable the group to increase the number of children and parents able to participate to more than 70.

Over the past year, the group has gone mobile to stay Covid safe, and has run a number of activity afternoons at Hooke Court, Forest School sessions on Allington Hill and visits to centres such as Treetops.

For more information visit www.ascape.club/