I am very excited to be running the London Marathon in April in support of the National Autistic Society. Whilst running the marathon has been on my bucket list for a while, it is an amazing opportunity to support a charity that is doing incredible work across the UK. Through my work as a teacher and education assistant, I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing children with autism. I am passionate that as a society we must do more to understand and support them. 

Autism is a spectrum condition that affects people in different ways. Like everyone, people with autism have their own strengths and weaknesses.

 - In the UK over 700,000 people have an autism diagnosis 

 - Children with autism are 3 x more likely to be excluded from school 

 - Only 1 in 6 adults with an autism diagnosis in the UK have a full-time job 

 - Over a third of adults with autism have serious mental health conditions 

The National Autistic society has been working hard at changing attitudes, and transforming lives by attempting to create a society that works for all children and adults with autism.

Running and training for the London Marathon is a mental challenge (as well as a physical one) and knowing that I am supporting such an amazing cause has made the dark and cold winter mornings that bit more tolerable.

Thank you so much for any contribution you can give, it means so much to me <3  

( to learn more -  have a read at https://www.autism.org.uk )