£113,000 National Lottery cash boost to help local employers hire autistic staff

A new training programme designed to help Cumbrian employers recruit and retain autistic employees will be launching this month – thanks to a £113,000 National Lottery funding boost to Penrith-based autism charity, Triple A Project.

This vital funding has been awarded by The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, and will help to create over 40 jobs for people with autism in the county.

The Triple A Project provides autistic people in Cumbria with activities and programmes to equip and empower them with the skills to thrive in life. Autistic adults can face huge barriers to employment and with just 22% of autistic adults in work* – a decline from 32% ten years ago - the organisation is committed to ensuring local, sustainable employment opportunities are available to them.

Cumbrian hospitality firm, the Westmorland Family, is just one of many companies that has already signed up to the charity’s training programme, which will see employment and inclusion specialists teach staff on how they can best support people with autism.

Alex Sharp-Walker, People Director at the Westmorland Family, which runs Tebay Services, the Rheged Centre and Junction 38 Truckstop near Penrith, said: “We are very much looking forward to working with Triple A to explore ways of supporting autistic adults and young people to secure meaningful, rewarding employment in our business.

“As a business we can only benefit from the support and mentoring that Triple A provides. We welcome the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the needs and challenges faced by autistic people so we can discover the skills and talents of more individuals, and nurture a diverse and inclusive colleague community.”

Triple A has also been working with local schools, colleges, and SEN providers to help 40 people with autism - predominantly school leavers - access jobs in Cumbria.

Karen Quinn, Vice Chair at the Triple A Project said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this project is going to change the lives of many autistic individuals within Cumbria and will demonstrate to other employers that autistic adults are valuable members of society and that they are capable of contributing to the economy and fabric of Cumbria.

“Over 60% of adults with autism are financially reliant on their families; this initiative doesn’t just benefit those with autism but has far reaching consequences for families and the local community. There’s no industry an autistic person wouldn’t thrive in if they had the right support.”

Duncan Nicholson, Head of Funding for the North East and Cumbria at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We are very proud to support the Triple A Project’s critical work, helping local businesses to reflect on their culture and systems and provide a better, more nurturing environment for autistic people to further develop their talents and skills.

“Over the last three years, we have invested £361 million on employment and enterprise projects. Triple A is testament to just how vital this funding is to help communities to ultimately prosper and thrive.”

Twenty charities and community groups across Cumbria have been awarded almost £790,000 of National Lottery funding in the past quarter**, with nearly £6 million to 167 projects across the North East and Cumbria.

Cumbria isn’t alone in benefiting from National Lottery funding. Today it was announced that over £65 million has been distributed to over 1,920 community organisations across England in the past three months*.

Thanks to National Lottery players, this will fund things that matter to communities, such as economic prosperity, employment, young people, mental health, loneliness and helping the UK reach NET Zero by 2050.

National lottery players raise over £30 million each week for good causes across the UK, helping people and communities to build back from the pandemic to prosper and thrive. During the pandemic, in 2020 alone, The National Lottery Community Fund distributed almost £1 billion to charities and community organisations across the UK.

To find out more visit www.TNLCommunityFund.org.uk