Meet the Autism Partnership Board ambassadors
Hi, my name is Heidi, the reason I became an Torbay ambassador is that I wanted to be involved in making positive changes for better outcomes for people living life with autism in Torbay. I am very passionate in providing good quality healthcare for autistic people as there are many health issues that can be preventable if early intervention is provided. I enjoy working as part of the autism ambassadors project as I like meeting different people and sharing my experiences and knowledge to instigate change and meeting with the local authority to be an influence in local services to become more inclusive of autistic people.
Adrian brings a unique blend of personal experience and professional expertise to his role as an Autism Ambassador. Diagnosed with autism at the age of 48, he combines his firsthand insights into the autistic experience with his professional acumen as a college lecturer.
Adrian's journey into the autism spectrum later in life has equipped him with a deep understanding of both the challenges and strengths associated with autism. This perspective is invaluable in advocating for nuanced support and recognition of autistic adults, especially in professional environments.
Engaging as an Autism Ambassador not only allows Adrian to advocate for others but also offers him a platform for continuous personal and professional growth.
There were many reasons I wanted to become an ambassador, I was diagnosed later in life and since getting my diagnosis and becoming involved in the autistic community in Torbay my confidence has grown massively. I feel as though I have gained so much from this community and would like to do my bit to give back and be a voice for those who don’t feel they can speak out.
The ambassador project has achieved a huge amount since it started last year and we hope to do so much more. My biggest achievement is the Autistic After Hours group and seeing a difference that this has made to the lives of those who attend. I look forward to what the future of this project will be and look forward to having new ambassadors join us.
My name is Sarah and I wanted to be a Torbay Autism Ambassador because I wanted to help raise awareness and promote acceptance of autism and advocate for inclusion so that autistic people in Torbay can thrive in every aspect of their lives. I feel very strongly about improving access to health care services for autistic people, especially mental health care.
I love being an Autism Ambassador because I feel good knowing that my lived experience can be used to help make a positive difference for other autistic people in Torbay. Autism shouldn’t be a barrier to a high quality of life and yet the stresses autistic people face on a daily basis due to lack of acceptance and understanding are still very high. Knowing that the impact we can have as Autism Ambassadors can go some way to changing that is really motivating and makes me determined to keep pushing for positive change.
Hi, my name is Richard and I am an Autism Ambassador. I am in my late 50s and was diagnosed late with Autism. I have always enjoyed doing charity work, but being an Ambassador was really true to my heart as I have lived and faces so many challenges in my life being Autistic. I now enjoy helping others and help making changes in the local community to make lives better for people with Autism and with using a lot of my own experience to help others.
Hi, I’m Zac. I was diagnosed in 2010, but I was aware I was autistic from a very young age. I’ve been lucky enough to see many positive societal and legislative changes for autistic people and the understanding of autism in my lifetime. While we can always work towards a better future, the way in which things have improved always provided me with a sense of hope.
Which is exactly why the Autism Ambassadors are so important - in a way I’m almost a proof of concept, as due to the achievements and efforts of the Ambassadors, both directly and indirectly, I was able to go from being completely isolated to attending groups, having friends, volunteering and even becoming an Autism Ambassador myself all within the space of a year.
I wanted to be an Autism Ambassador because after seeing so much good work done from the sidelines and eventually benefitting so greatly from it, it’s about time I do what I can to help the many people who could find themselves in the situation I was in."