Every year on April 2, the world comes together to recognise World Autism Awareness Day. This is a valuable opportunity to raise awareness about autistic individuals both around the world and locally.
Theo Panayiotou is a second year Uniformed & Public Services student at Alton College, and recently organised a fundraising event to mark this occasion. This allowed Theo to talk to fellow Alton students and staff about his experiences with autism, the challenges he has overcome and his accomplishments.
Free cakes were on offer, as well as sensory objects for those in need. Currently, Theo has helped to raise £115 for the National Autism Society!
When asked about what inspired him to organise the event, Theo said:
“I think National Autism Day is so important because it allows people to learn more about autism and how it affects people like me. Since I have been at Alton College, I have always wanted to organise an event like this to raise awareness, and have been inspired by people like Chris Packham who have spoken a lot about their experiences with autism.”
Theo’s story is truly inspiring, and it was encouraging to see so many members of the Alton College community engage in friendly and interesting conversations about autism. Speaking about his time at Alton, Theo said:
“For me, the best thing about studying at Alton College is that everyone is really friendly. The staff, especially the Learning Support department and LSAs, are all incredibly supportive. My course is also very exciting and allows me to learn lots of new things!”
In the future, Theo hopes to organiser more fundraisers like this, with the goal of fostering a truly open and productive conversation about autism at Alton College and in the wider community:
“I was really amazed by the number of Alton College students that visited my autism stand. I really enjoyed talking to them about autism and showing them an article I had written. We also gave them free cakes! It was a fantastic event and I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped me with this. It shows that even with autism, people have the ability to shine and make great things happen.”
To visit the JustGiving page for Theo’s fundraiser, please click here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/katie-jane-hobbs-5
