Autism Forward Cio

Congrats to the Autism Forward Cio team, Geoff Guerin and everyone who took part in the 100km London to Kent cycle loop! What a brilliant achievement for such a great cause. 

We're proud to support a charity that does so much for autistic individuals, helping them to access employment and equitable opportunities. 

#IDEXConsulting #Employment #Equity

Update on our sponsored cycle! Undeterred by the torrential rain and raging thunderstorms overnight, five teams of cyclists - the Tortoises, Hares, Foxes, Hounds and Solenodons - turned out on a bleak Sunday morning to cycle a 100km loop into Kent to raise funds for Autism Forward Cio. The teams included cyclists from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, IDEX Consulting Ltd, CVC, Deutsche Bank, UK Civil Service, Lloyds Banking Group, Peloton Interactive and local cycling group Blackheath Velo. The roads and skies were drier than expected and the Badger back up team were only called upon once for a mechanical. The routes were challenging on the day, but all teams completed them commendably. Our thanks to all the cyclists, the back up team and everyone who so kindly donated to support our work. Thanks to your incredible generosity, we have smashed our original target which will enable us to fund our work for the next 12 months. This is an absolutely fantastic achievement, we are so grateful to you all.

Incredibly, it has been five years since our last major fundraising cycle event in June 2019 when four teams of cyclists, the Tortoises, Hares, Foxes and Hounds, raced 100km from Oak Lodge School in East Finchley to Cafe Track - TRACK NN CIC  in Northampton. Since then, Autism Forward Cio has gone from strength to strength, supporting over 350 people into work by funding one to one specialist mentoring support, alongside workshops, peer support groups and job seekers programmes, to help autistic adults secure employment, reduce isolation and access social activities and training. Over 80% of our clients over the last 5 years have achieved their employment goal, which for the majority is paid employment.     There is still no public funding available for the specialist employment support that Autism Forward funds and the latest Labour Force Survey shows that only 3 in 10 working age autistic people are in employment, so our work is more important than ever. This year we have seen the largest ever number of applications for support from autistic job seekers, so we are in desperate need of funds to meet this growing demand.   We calling out for cyclists to join the Tortoises and Hares, our veteran teams from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (& ringers), in a 100km Kent Loop, starting and ending at Blackheath, London on Sunday 22 September 2024. This will be a fun and friendly event and, most importantly, we hope for a successful fundraising to allow Autism Forward to continue its invaluable work. Please contact jane@autismforward.org.uk if you are interested in taking part, either as a team or as an individual joining one of the other teams.  We have already had interest from our current Charity Partner, IDEX Consulting Ltd and would love to welcome members of the Legal Neurodiversity Network, GAIN (Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment & Neurodiversity) and other supporters. A Just Giving Page has been set up for all participants to use: https://lnkd.in/edkvsUUC. There is no fee to participate, but we encourage all riders to either donate themselves or gather sponsorship so we can smash the incredible £75,000 raised from our event 5 years ago. Please consider supporting our work as generously as you can!

ASM & Autism Forward Cio are pleased to be launching a second cohort of our Autistic Job Seekers Peer Support Group this year. The group will start with a FREE informational open event on August 12th from 12-1 pm via Zoom. Facilitated by ASM employment consultants Mark & Georgia. What to expect? ✅ Join us to learn more about our upcoming 12-month peer support group ✅ Discover what to expect from the group inc. topics we aim to cover, past guest speakers and group aims. ✅ Meet other Autistic job seekers ✅ Ask questions to help you decide whether you’d like to apply to join the peer support group. To express your interest in attending the online open event or to sign up to the 12-month group email us at workshops@asmentoring.co.uk .

I believe charity is a crucial aspect of sustainability often overlooked in discussions. In my early career, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was instrumental in how we engaged with society. A small donation of £5 to an impactful charity can make a significant difference. Charity is a cornerstone of our sustainability approach at IDEX Consulting Ltd. Our team has partaken in various activities, from marathons to unique experiences like being flown strapped to the top of a plane. These initiatives have not only allowed us to give back but also enabled us to build great relationships. Tomorrow kicks off a series of charity cricket matches organized by IDEX, raising funds for Autism Forward Cio. These efforts reflect our commitment to supporting society. It's inspiring when seeing many businesses making charity contributions, enhancing our collective social fabric. Join us for a great day with friends and clients; everyone is welcome. If you can't attend but wish to support, you can make a small donation here too: https://bit.ly/3zL1GIp

Calling all employers looking for a fantastic neurodiversity speaker and the opportunity to support the amazing Prince's Trust charity! Anna Delves, an autistic and ADHD writer, speaker, and communications expert in the world of FinTech is offering to deliver engaging and practical sessions in return for a donation to the Prince's Trust as part of their Million Makers fundraising challenge. Speaking candidly about her life both before and after her diagnosis, Anna brings a wealth of knowledge and insights to her speaking engagements. In her talks she shares practical strategies for navigating the complexities of the corporate world, engaging in productive dialogue with neurodiverse colleagues, building a supportive community, and what professional settings can do to be neuroinclusive spaces. Understanding how to be neuroinclusive can only come from listening to people's lived experience, so do take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to motivate and inspire your team by getting in touch with Anna Delves.

We are currently recruiting for our September 2024 cohort for The Autism Project and would like to invite you to attend one of our monthly Zoom information sessions. The sessions are open to anyone who wants to find out more about The Autism Project , our full-time, two-year, employability programme for autistic young people aged 18-25, with an Education Health & Care Plan. Our next online information session is April 26th @ 1- 2pm on Zoom. Please follow the link here to join: https://lnkd.in/eV5CGJwP Meeting ID: 832 7161 4238 Passcode: 960422 Please feel free to pass this on to any relevant parents/professionals/young people. Alternatively, you can follow this link to find out when other sessions are happening: www.care-trade.org

Fantastic new initiative from John Lewis & Partners who are now providing details of their interview questions and other help and support with their recruitment processes on a dedicated website: https://lnkd.in/epmBCxKP They also have clear guidance on how to request "reasonable adjustments" at interview. One to share with your networks for inspiration on how to be a more neurodivergent friendly employer and recruiter - Legal Neurodiversity Network, GAIN (Group for Autism, Insurance, Investment & Neurodiversity) and Neurodiversity in Business (NiB) - the Neurodiversity Charity https://lnkd.in/ewzp8q4J