I attended the launch of the Lombard car rally one cold and blustery November evening. Although it was a great night, full of excitement, my lasting and most memorable impressions were of an amazing charity called TreeHouse who were also there, raising some essential funds. That night I learned about the incredible work done by the TreeHouse team, helping families of children with autism - a serious, life long, neurological condition. I knew a little about autism already; how it inhibits the development of communication, socialisation and imagination; how it causes people with the condition to have difficulties in making sense of the world, forming relationships and developing language. What I’d never really thought about before was the fact that no one knows what causes autism and that there is no cure! I couldn’t imagine what it must feel like as a parent to be told your child is diagnosed with autism. Being told there is no medical intervention and very little to give you hope must leave you in a very lonely place. Ten years ago a group of parents found themselves in such a place. There was nowhere for their children to receive appropriate education. So they acted decisively and with courage and over time set up the first school in the UK especially for children with autism. As the school grew, so too did the need to expand the range and quality of autism education available for all children across the UK. That need is ever present and just as pressing is the need to find more solutions, more answers, more ways through education to enhance the life of children with autism and the lives of their families. So this year I’ve decided to go a little further in the hope that you can too! I’ll be running the London Marathon, the Edinburgh Marathon AND the Nottingham Marathon! It’s quite an effort and I really hope you’re encouraged to show your support by sponsoring me. No charity works harder or is in greater need of support than TreeHouse. Your generosity will make a real difference to families desperate for help. Thank you Chris
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