Vote for Aspens and Improve the Lives of Autistic People and those with a Learning Disability 

Aspens is one of the charities taking part in September’s poll. They are competing for 20% of My Favourite Voucher Code’s profits, hoping to secure the most votes to win this month’s poll. Read more below to see how voting for Aspens can have a positive impact on the lives of young people and adults on the autism spectrum and with learning disabilities. 

What Does Aspens Do? 

Aspens’ mission is to provide high quality care and support to individuals on the autism spectrum and those with learning disabilities; meeting their needs and aspirations and empowering them to learn and grow through an integrated network of services across the South-East.

With over 100 years of experience, Aspens provides support and care to children, families and adults across Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Surrey and the London Borough of Bexley, and their peer education service operates in the counties as mentioned above as well as Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and The Isle of Wight. 

Their services include registered care homes; supported living; community outreach; day services, including pathways to employment; young people’s groups and support; specialist support and a peer education support service offering support and coaching to families and carers. 

Aspens has four charity shops in Bexhill, Crowborough, Paddock Wood and Seaford and an ebay store. The charity also has a Café, animal farm, playground and woodland walk and a Donations Centre at its Pembury site, near Tunbridge Wells. 
In 2023/24 Aspens provided over 890,000 hours of support to over 3,000 children, young people, adults and families. Recent developments for the charity include launching the first-of-its-kind dementia residential service for people with a learning disability; expanding their activities for young people and introducing specialist suicide prevention support. 

One in 67 people in the UK are autistic, but many adults have never been diagnosed. Autism affects both males and females and one in three autistic people has a learning disability. Around 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability. It’s thought up to 350,000 people have a severe learning disability and that this figure is increasing. 

70–80% of autistic children and adults experience or have experienced mental health problems in their lifetime (Ambitious About Autism, Know Your Normal, 2017). Studies suggest the rate of mental health problems in people with a learning disability is double that of the general population (Cooper, 2007; Emerson & Hatton, 2007; NICE, 2016).

What Services do Aspens Provide?

Services for Young People

Aspens provides care and support to children and young people with a range of disabilities, those on the autism spectrum, and those with complex needs from the age of 8 through to 25. They support children and young people in developing the skills required to become independent and confident young people.

Aspens does this through Ofsted registered children’s residential care providing overnight stays, after-school and Saturday clubs, community groups for children and teens, holiday activity programmes, a buddy scheme, sibling support groups and family fun days.

Specialist Support

Aspens’ Specialist Support Service is a comprehensive, professional, high-quality Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) provision. This service is for individuals on the autism spectrum and with other related conditions (and their parents/carers). PBS is a way of understanding more about the help individuals need to experience a better quality of life and implementing a bespoke action plan to achieve this. 

Suicide Prevention Support

Aspens’ staff are currently being trained in delivering suicide prevention support to young people and families using Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and will be launching this vital service in the coming months. 

Family Support

Aspens supports families to care for children and young people on the autism spectrum, and with other complex conditions and associated needs. The charity aims to empower families, individuals and professional networks by increasing knowledge and understanding, challenging perceptions and encouraging acceptance. 

Aspens offers support to family members and carers, including parents, siblings, grandparents or friends of someone with a disability, of any age. This includes support in meetings, advocacy for families, signposting, 1-1 clinics and providing general advice and guidance. 

Aspens is the South-East regional hub for Autism Central, providing high-quality and accessible autism information, education and coaching for families and carers. The service is co-delivered by autistic people, families and carers. The regional hub covers Sussex, Kent, Surrey, Hampshire/Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. 

Services for Adults

Aspens offers a wide range of services for adults with learning disabilities, those on the autism spectrum and those with complex needs using a holistic, person-centred approach. The charity encourages all the adults they care for to participate and fully engage in the variety of activities that they run, challenging perceptions that might prevent them from realising their full potential.

Depending on the needs of the individual being supported, Aspens offers everything from day services to supported living and outreach services to residential care. The charity also specialises in training and pathways to employment.

How Will the Donation Help Aspens?

The donation from My Favourite Voucher Code is needed now more than ever as social-care charities such as Aspens face reductions in their funding due to cuts in government spending. The donation will help to ensure young people and adults on the autistic spectrum and with a learning disability, and their families, continue to access essential services, guidance and resources, providing them with the opportunities and support they deserve. 

How Can I Find out More and Contact Aspens?

To find out more about Aspens and the services Aspens provides visit their website at www.aspens.org.uk, by telephone at 01892 822168 or by email: enquiries@aspens.org.uk 

You can find out how to request support here.

How Can I Support Aspens?

To support Aspens please vote for the charity in the My Favourite Voucher Code’s poll for September now.

You can also support Aspens by making a donation, visiting their charity shops in Bexhill, Crowborough, Paddock Wood and Seaford, purchasing items from their ebay store, donating items either through their shops or at their Donations Centre in Pembury, and visiting their Bluebell Café and animal farm, also at their Pembury site. 

Aspens warmly welcome volunteers and there are lots of opportunities to get involved within their shops and services. Find out more here.

Has Aspens got your vote? If so, then head over to our Homepage to show your support. Once you have cast your vote, why not share the poll with friends and family to help them get as many votes as possible! Vote by 30th September to ensure your vote is counted.