Sycamore Trust U.K.

We had a terrific day last Friday at the third annual Sycamore Trust U.K. Golf Day. For the third year in a row, the event took place at the Stapleford Abbots golf club just outside Romford and once again, we were lucky with the weather, although it threatened to rain for an hour in the morning. After a breakfast of bacon rolls and coffee, we had 52 golfers lined up to play and many of them took part in the chipping & putting competitions before they went out on to the course. After eighteen rolls, our players returned to the clubhouse for a hot supper as we tallied up the scores. Our winners were as follows; Competition winner; Alfie Richards Runner-up; Danny Cunningham Longest drive; Patrick Hattersley Chipping competition;; David Maylor Putting competition; Kev Taylor Nearest the pin; Neil Parker, Ian Gadbury, Raymond Coe, Adam Kinnaird Wooden spoon!; Ray Taylor Events like this don't happen by magic and there are so many people that we'd like to thank, especially our sponsors; Enterprise Mobility Fix Auto Dagenham BPS Building Services Abbey Group BVS Group UK Power Networks Ipswich Exotics Griffin Property In addition, thanks to all those people who kindly donated raffle prizes, Last but definitely not least, huge thanks to Paul & Jemma Taylor for everything they did to make the day such a success, especially as they had only just returned from holiday the day before! Looking forward to next year already! Scott Dunnell Paul Cunningham Lisa Cannings Cheryl Kearney Matthew Startin Jemma Taylor #autismacceptance #autismawareness #charityfundraising #charitygolfday #staplefordabbotsgolfclub #actuallyautistic

Over the summer, we've established a really positive relationship with the Diversity & Inclusion team at c2c (Trenitalia c2c Ltd), our local rail operator. c2c manages 25 stations and its trains call at 28. They provide commuter services from its London Fenchurch Street terminus to parts of East London and south Essex along the London, Tilbury and Southend line and they were keen to know more about the services provided by Sycamore Trust U.K. and neuro-diversity in general. After some really positive discussions, we decided to shoot a short film about how families with a neuro-diverse member might travel on the rail network, whilst at the same time showcasing our Autism Awareness training. Therefore, a week ago, a group of young people, parents, c2c and Sycamore staff had a great day out to Leigh-on-Sea with c2c whilst creating a video that shows the journey experience for families with autism. We started the day at our premises in Dagenham where we were asked to perform some autism related tasks from our CPD Standards Office accredited Autism Awareness training before taking a train from Barking to Leigh-on-Sea. We treated our group to an ice cream by the seaside, whilst shooting some more footage and interviews for the film, and we're all looking forward to seeing it when it's finished! Thanks to Paul McGunnigle-White and Adam Sergent from c2c (Trenitalia c2c Ltd) and their camera crew and thanks as well to the young people and their families who coped really well with all the things we asked of them. #autismacceptance #autismawareness #neurodiversity #actuallyautistic #daretobedifferent

Once again, our annual Sycamore Trust U.K. outdoor adventure camp has come and gone and it was another wonderful week and a great experience helping the young people tackle new challenges. We had an amazing week at the Lambourne End Centre for Outdoor Learning and we enjoyed decent weather as our young people excelled themselves by attempting a wide range of activities, including cycling, climbing, abseiling, archery, crossbow and zip-lining. Our staff team love supporting the youngsters to test themselves in an unfamiliar environment, and, as ever, they rose to the challenge. Looking forward to next year! #autismacceptance #autismawareness #actuallyautistic

Are you a Havering employer? Could you offer work experience to a member of the autistic community?  The London borough of Havering and Sycamore Trust U.K. have joined forces to provide employment support and advice to autistic residents across the Borough and through employer engagement, increase the number of employment opportunities for the autistic community. Sycamore Trust will identify autistic adults in Havering who are seeking or considering seeking employment and need a one-to-one service to develop/enhance their skills and knowledge in applying for jobs and attending interviews. Employers will be invited to offer work experience for suitable candidates and in return, Sycamore Trust will provide autism awareness training and an audit of the premises & recruitment process. Employers interested in taking part should contact marketing@sycamoretrust.org.uk for more information. #autismacceptance #autismawareness #actuallyautistic

We are hosting a sensory training workshop at the Sycamore Trust U.K. premises in October. There are just 20 places available for the workshop, which takes place on Monday 21st October from 10am to 1pm at Sycamore Trust UK, 27-29 Woodward Road, Dagenham RM9 4SJ. Subjects covered include; What are sensory differences? Signs and symptoms of sensory differences Hyper and Hypo sensitivity-how they differ? What are our senses and how many are there? How to support sensory differences in a safe, controlled way Resources and support available There are only 20 places available, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Email enquiries@sycamoretrust.org.uk to reserve your place #autismacceptance #autismawareness

Are you a member of the Havering autistic community? Are you unemployed, over 18 and looking for support to access employment opportunities? Then, we may be able to help! The London Borough of Havering and Sycamore Trust U.K. have joined forces to provide employment support and advice to autistic residents across the Borough and through employer engagement increase the number of employment opportunities for the autistic community. Sycamore Trust will identify autistic adults in Havering who are seeking or considering seeking employment and need a one to one service to develop/enhance their skills and knowledge in applying for jobs and attending interviews. Employers will be invited to offer work experience for suitable candidates and in return, Sycamore Trust will provide autism awareness training and an audit of the premises & recruitment process. Anyone interested in signing up for the project must be a resident of the London Borough of Havering and over 18. For more information, please email janet.hawkins@sycamoretrust.org.uk #autismacceptance #autismawareness

It’s volunteers week, and a chance to thank everyone who gives up their spare time to help good causes all over the country. Volunteers' Week celebrates the amazing contributions volunteers make to communities across the UK. It’s a chance to recognise, celebrate and thank the UK’s incredible volunteers for all they contribute to our local communities, the voluntary sector, and society as a whole. We’re fortunate that we can count on an amazing group of people at Sycamore Trust. One such person is Emily, who volunteers each week to help out on our wonderful Speak With A Picture programme. Like so many of our volunteers and staff, she has first-hand experience of autism. Emily, from Gidea Park, has been a volunteer on the SWAP project for several weeks now, having become aware of Sycamore Trust when her daughter was diagnosed. Following the diagnosis, Emily received a lot of information, including details of the support that we provide at Sycamore. When her working circumstances changed, she found herself with some spare time and decided to get involved. To read more about Emily, and the benefits of being a Sycamore Trust volunteer, click here; https://lnkd.in/ekgNdY49 #autism #autismacceptance #daretobedifferent #autismawareness #actuallyautistic

The Sycamore Trust U.K. Autism Ambassadors were rising stars as always at a presentation to over 60 members of staff at Rise Park Academy on Friday 3rd May. As usual, the staff were really engaged and the presentation received excellent feedback, which reflected that the staff really enjoyed the presentation! Here's a selection of comments from the feedback we received; I learnt a lot from this training as I have a child of my own with autism and this really helped me know more on a professional point I learnt that awareness training is far more impactful when the trainers have autism themselves. Very insightful. I had a child in mind during this training - I am going to make sure I put what I learnt today into practice To find out more about our Autism Awareness training, click here; https://lnkd.in/e7Z-fpaA #autismawareness #autismacceptance #Actuallyautistic #daretobedifferent

We very recently met with Paul McGunnigle-White and Sarah Mathis from the c2c (Trenitalia c2c Ltd) D&I Forum. Plenty of topics were covered and lots of ideas emerged. Here's Paul's review of our meeting.... https://lnkd.in/grpqXcEi

Sycamore Trust U.K. are delighted to announce that one of the most important services we offer is resuming after a brief hiatus, thanks to the support of the City Bridge Foundation – London’s biggest independent charity funder. The Sycamore Trust life skills programme has been supporting autistic children and young people aged 10-17, living in Barking & Dagenham, Havering, or Redbridge since 2019, but the programme was halted recently, when funding dried up. Sycamore Trust submitted an ambitious bid for three years’ funding to City Bridge Foundation last year and staff were thrilled to learn that their application had been accepted. Now, thanks to this funding, the life skills project restarted at the end of April and once again offers valuable support to young autistic people in the area. The programme is open to young people aged 10 to 17 years old with a diagnosis of mild to moderate {higher functioning) autism who live in Barking & Dagenham, Havering, or Redbridge. Young people who live in one of the three boroughs and have been referred to CAMHS for an autism assessment may also be eligible. City Bridge Foundation Chairman Giles Shilson said: “We’re really pleased that our funding has enabled the life skills programme to restart. It will have a profound effect on young people’s lives, delivering practical skills and experience, and boosting their confidence, independence and self-esteem.” The programme is an enhanced version of one Sycamore Trust delivered from 2019 to 2023 and they know from experience that it helps to boost young people’s self-confidence, independence, and general wellbeing. A typical session involves each group spending half an hour working on a life skills topic followed by a fun activity chosen to promote social interaction and teamwork. The life skills groups will run three nights a week in term time, from venues in Dagenham and Rainham. Sycamore Trust currently has a handful of places left for the April 2024 intake and they are about to start building the waiting list for the April 2025 intake. If wish to make an enquiry about the final few places available now, or express an interest in referring a young person for the April 2025 intake, you can contact Sycamore Trust by emailing activities@sycamoretrust.org.uk About City Bridge Foundation City Bridge Foundation is a world-class bridge owner responsible for five Thames crossings – including the iconic Tower Bridge – and London’s biggest independent charity funder. It awards over £30 million a year in grants to charitable organisations across London, and has made a further £200 million available over the five years to 2026 to support the capital’s charity sector. The foundation has been bridging London and connecting communities for over 900 years. Its sole trustee is the City of London Corporation – the governing body for the Square Mile. https://lnkd.in/etcXehmu