Charity facing closure

Mar 9 2008 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

A PIONEERING charity which has helped hundreds of children with autism could close because of a growing cash crisis, its founder says.

The Toby Henderson Trust has provided vital support to more than 1200 youngsters and families from as far afield as Southampton, Ireland and Greece since it set up in Northumberland six years ago.

But founder Lesley Henderson, who named it after her autistic son Toby, now 14, says they could be forced to close at the end of the year because of spiralling overheads and a lack of donations.

She said: “We are facing our last year. I have been getting more and more concerned about it and I really need to lay that on the line for all the people who come here.”

Lesley, 49, set up the trust, which was a Sunday Sun Champion of the North award-winner in 2006, in a derelict farm building in Stannington, near Morpeth, following research she did after Toby was first diagnosed with autism as a toddler.

The trust helps children, their parents and professionals develop a better understanding of the condition by offering advice on things like speech and language therapy as well as providing a social gathering place for the youngsters.

However, Lesley has had to reduce her full-time workforce from 12 to six over the last two years due to a 35 per cent rise in insurance costs and a drop in donations which has left them struggling to meet the £5000-a-month overheads.

Lesley said: “Donations are still coming in — a lady held a charity night in Marks & Spencer recently and raised £2000 which was fantastic — but there has been a definite tail-off. There are so many other good causes out there and families don’t have a lot of free time to do fundraising things for us, but the main reason is we are a victim of our own success because we are so professional.

“Many families assume we are part of statutory services and don’t realise we are a charity doing everything for ourselves. They think we must be getting Government money.

“Yet we were turned down by the Big Lottery Fund and also got knocked back by Family Funding Matters, a new Government fund which seemed right up our street because it helps trusts and foundations who work with parents and families. It makes me wonder how people get funding.”

The mum-of-four has written letters to families who regularly visit the Stannington centre explaining the situation and has been heartened by the response.

She said: “It’s brought it sharply into focus and I’ve been told of several fundraisers taking place soon, including a sponsored dress-down day at someone’s work and a lady working at a community centre who’ll be sponsored to wear her pyjamas for 24 hours.

“What would kids with autism and their families do in this region if the trust wasn’t there? That’s why the community should pull together to help.”

V To make a donation visit the trust’s new website at www.ttht.co.uk or send donations to The Toby Henderson Trust, Whitehouse Farm Centre, Stannington, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 6AW.