Select a region
Struggling to stay connected? Overwhelmed in online meetings? Islanders are being invited to share a 'desk selfie' with the hashtag #Difficult2Communicate in a new fundraiser for a local autism charity.
Jersey Autism's campaign, which asks for a £2 donation with each selfie, aims to raise awareness of autism and to support those who experience difficulties with communication and social interaction every day.
Kate Kelly, fundraising and marketing manager at Autism Jersey, said: “Whilst adapting to our new work from home environments, my colleagues and I shared some things that we were struggling with, such as being distracted by the dog barking (or kids fighting in my case!) during online meetings, and feeling lost with the lack of routine.
“As we felt anxious and confused with the constant change coronavirus brought with it, it dawned on us that the autistic people that Autism Jersey support experience these difficulties every day.
“They can find unexpected changes difficult and overwhelming, and background noises, like that barking dog, may seem unbearably loud or painful.”
Autism Jersey raises £300,000 per year to support families in the island, and fundraising events are key to reaching this goal.
Without the fundraising balance that April usually brings, Kate says: “We are asking people to donate £2 along with their selfie, to support their local autism charity as we continue to support families in this challenging time.”
Earlier this month, the charity celebrated World Autism Awareness Day with a ‘superhero’ campaign (see photo gallery below), and on Friday (24 April) islanders were invited to a ‘no-show’ black tie ball to raise money for the charity.
CLICK HERE to make a donation.
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.