Why a sponsored silence?

Silence can be powerful. By taking part, you’ll raise vital funds for our work, and awareness of the communication differences and barriers faced by autistic children and those we support.

When you take part in our sponsored silence, you might begin to get a small but powerful sense of what daily life can be like for a child what daily life can be like for a child who experiences the world differently from a neurotypical child. And why understanding and support can make such a big difference.

During your sponsored silence you can communicate however you like without using mouth words, which many children find exhausting or overwhelming, or don’t use at all in preference for other communication methods. We’ll provide you with some of these alternative methods of communication to support you through your fundraising challenge. Just like we do through our early help and support services for autistic children.

Silence can be powerful

By joining our sponsored silence, you'll help raise vital funds and awareness of the communication and interaction differences autistic children can face.

Taking part offers a small but meaningful glimpse into the daily experiences of children who see and interact with the world differently and you’ll be helping to highlight how understanding and support can change lives.

During your silence, you'll communicate without using spoken words—just as many children do who find speech overwhelming or choose other ways to express themselves. We'll provide alternative communication tools to support you, just as we do through our early help services for autistic children.

How to take part

Help us raise vital funds and awareness of communication differences for autistic children, one quiet moment at a time. Take part today by:

1) Pledge your support today - sign up and download our fundraising pack

2) Pick your fundraising target and set up a JustGiving page to start fundraising.

3) Tell everyone you know and get the support of your friends and family – they could even take part with you!

Choose a silence that works for you

- A whole day

- A silent hour at work or home

- A silent activity, like a dog walk or dinner

- Ask a local business to get involved through a quiet hour with the music off, and lights turned down.

Communication support:

- Communicate through natural gestures and body movement, like pointing and facial expressions

- Use writing, communication symbols, or digital support like text-to-speech apps. More info in our fundraising pack

- Learn some key Makaton phrases, available in our fundraising pack

The impact you’ll make

By taking part in our sponsored silence, you’ll be speaking up for autistic children by raising awareness of communication differences. If we can enable a child to feel safe and understood, they become happier and they can flourish.

Your fundraising will have a direct impact on the children we support in our nursery.

• By raising £20 you could cover the cost of sensory toys like wands and light up toys, which are much loved and need replacing often

• Fundraising £50 could pay for one sensory and regulation support like a balance board or wobble cushion, along with a peanut ball to support core strength

• A £100 donation would cover the cost of a weighted blanket and a vibrating cushion or neck pillow to support a child with their sensory needs and self-regulation

• A donation of £200 could pay for a sensory hammock or swing to help a child with their regulation

• Raising £300 would pay for an AAC app to be loaded onto one iPad to support children in the nursery with their communication

• By making a £500 donation, you could cover the cost of a new iPad and child-friendly case along with some sensory toys