Our mission has already started

We need you to be a part of our vision, a vision that is already becoming a reality. Providing the opportunity to help many individuals and their families with facilities and services they so deserve.

The Autism Trust has been launched to develop a new care and support community model for adults with autism and related disabilities and their families.

The Autism Trust will be developing a three phased approach to providing individuals with autism and related disabilities a future with purpose.

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Being told that your precious child has autism is both heartbreaking and frightening. My son Billy was diagnosed with severe autism when he was just over two years old. That was back in 1998. I am

happy to say that we have come a long way since that time. He is now 17 years old and is described as “high functioning” and his progress is ongoing. That progress is due in no small part to the excellent biomedical and educational interventions we were able to access for him but I am very aware and concerned of the lack of expert facilities and services available to him today and in the future.

Polly Tommey established The Autism Trust in 2007, with her husband, Jonathan, (Managing Director of The Autism Clinic and Director of Fundraising for the Autism Trust), realising that provisions and opportunities for their son after educational years was bleak.

Through our magazine the Autism File (established in 1999) and a variety of campaigns in the UK and US, we raised awareness about autism.

In June 2012, we established our The Autism Trust UK headquarters in Sunninghill complete with Polly’s Place: a social enterprise boutique and workshop featuring handmade products beautifully crafted by people with autism, Asperger’s and related conditions, and their families and friends.

In 2013, The Autism Trust branched out in the US – starting in Austin, Texas with hopes of providing individuals, with an autism spectrum condition (asc) and related disorders, an opportunity to develop work and vocational skills in order to make products for sale in Polly’s Place and to provide them with the necessary skills for future employment..

Our objective is simple:

To create a future with purpose and opportunity for individuals everywhere with autism. The concept is based on providing future training and employment opportunities and residential living for adults with autism.

Background

Polly Tommey, Founder

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Our mission is clear

PHASE 1

Polly’s Place

We are providing a much needed support facility to enable individuals with an autism spectrum condition and related disorders, families and friends an opportunity to develop work and vocational skills by creating beautiful pieces of work that are sold within Polly’s Place retail boutiques. Outside of the UK, these will be available via Peoples Pharmacy outlets in Austin, Texas, and online.

The sales of the products will give 100% of the asking price back to the families. This provides crucial income but also provides the opportunity to practice and expose their often hidden and unrecognized skills.

(Opened April 2013).

PHASE 2

Vocational Training Center

Building an independent Polly’s Place boutique and training workshop with a future planned organic cafe, garden and food trailer. This facility and service will provide real work opportunities for individuals with autism and will provide expert training opportunities with vocational certification, providing future work placements for individuals (post education) with an autism spectrum disorder.

(Fall 2013).

PHASE 3

Residential Center

Building a new residential, wellness, training and outreach center where adults with an autism spectrum disorder and other related conditions can live a safe, healthy and purposeful life, a life that’s not yet available for them today. (Development of business model under development. Fall 2014)

Achieving our goalsIn order to help raise funds to achieve and support phase 3 of our mission, it is imperative that a strong fundraising and awareness campaign are initiated but equally a business philosophy and practice that provides a solid financial foundation for its development and ongoing success. This will be the underlying objectives of Phase 1 and 2 of our business operation. Sales of Polly’s Place products, textile, clothing and associated brand merchandise, etc and incomes derived from training courses and workshop provision.

Phase 1. Pollys PlacePolly’s Place in Peoples Pharmacy lakeline outlet and our online shopping channel. (April 2013)

Phase 2. Vocational Training Center (Sept 2013)a. An independent Polly’s Place boutique.b. An organic café, garden and food trailer (mid 2014)

Phase 3. Residential Center (Future)

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Center of Excellence in Autism

Residential Center – Masterplan

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Center of Excellence in Autism

Residential Center – Masterplan

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The business demand

With a current estimation of 141,000 children in Texas or 1 in 45 children (CDC 2012) are now diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition. This is one of the fastest growing childhood epidemics in our contemporary society. With that growth approximately 85% of adults diagnosed with Autism will never work. Autism is under supported by organizations and job opportunities are few.

Polly’s Place, The Vocational Training Center and future Café and trailer

Polly’s Place, the vocational training center and future organic Café, garden and food trailer will offer work opportunities and will achieve and fulfil a part of this work opportunity deficit. It will be instrumental in creating public awareness of autism, job creation and a solid vision of our facilities and services. All of which can be franchised in most countries worldwide.

The Café and trailer will sell and use organic, nutrient dense foods of the highest quality and purity, locally sourced vegetables and fruits and freshly baked gluten free products.

The Café will also have a seating areas outside within a “garden” with a water feature and low background noise (relaxing classics etc) which will provide a beautiful ambience and will offer a selection of plants for sale (again locally sourced) for sale. This will also encourage individuals to view Polly’s Place and its product range and therefore maximizing exposure and additional purchases.

Apart from Polly’s Place selling beautifully hand crafted products made by individuals with an autism spectrum condition or by family and friends, a selection of other products including specific merchandise, a textile and clothing range, autism and health flyers (FREE) and a supportive book library will also be on sale.

Location

For the success of most businesses the correct location is imperative but equally so, is awareness.

The aim is to maximize both location and awareness with a fixed Polly’s Place boutique and vocational training center with its future Café and mobile food trailer.

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Awareness and PR

Polly’s Place boutique, the training and vocational center, the Café and food trailer, and an active and ongoing PR and marketing campaign, will make this a very visual and well perceived non profit organization. A business model that is not strictly governed by its commercial vision but a philosophy supporting individuals and their families with autism and the promotion and awareness of nutrition and health to the general public. This is of particular importance to The Autism Trust as so many individuals with disabilities and learning disorders require additional nutritional support and the avoidance of chemicals.

In Summary

This document is a work in progress but has highlighted the key phases for development and the objectives and how we will aim to achieve these.

We understand we have a lot of hard work ahead, we know that we will face difficult hurdles at times and we appreciate it may not be easy.

We also understand that this business model has a very high demand. It is highly innovative and instrumental and is a model that can work be replicated worldwide. It offers individuals and their families hope, support, health, love, work and leisure opportunities and unquestionably a much brighter future. If you feel you could offer any assistance in helping us achieve our goals and objectives please contact us below.

Be the change that you wish to see in the world.Mahatma Gandhi.

For more details please contact Jonathan Tommey Cell: (1) 512 419 8504

Email: jonathan.tommey@theautismtrust.com

www.theautismtrust.com

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