SAFE’s New President

SAFE Essex, formerly known as SAFE (Supporting Asperger Families in Essex), has appointed former Southend Mayor, David Norman MBE, as its new President.

 Mr Norman is to step down as Chair due to ill health following his tenure since 2019. As Mayor of Southend, Mr Norman helped to raise over £6,000 for the charity and has been a champion of SAFE Essex’s work ever since.

 Commenting on his appointment, Mr Norman said: “SAFE is a charity that has been dear to my heart for many years.

 “I was close friends with SAFE’s founder, Carolann Jackson and was delighted when I was Mayor of Southend on Sea in 2012, to name SAFE as one of my Mayor’s Charities in that year.

 “SAFE has been a leading player in providing support for people on the spectrum in Essex for nearly 30 years. I’m honoured to become its next President.”

 SAFE Essex was formed in 1997 to support individuals with Asperger syndrome, now referred to as being on the autistic spectrum without a learning disability, and their families and carers.

 Since its inception, hundreds of people have contacted SAFE and become members, with many valuing the information, sharing of experiences, and activities provided by SAFE Essex.

 Parent/carer and adult members of SAFE Essex receive a membership pack, monthly newsletters detailing local and national events, plus access to a range of projects run by SAFE Essex designed to help adults, children and young people mix with others, gain information and learn social skills.

 SAFE Essex operates across the county with most members living in and around the Southend area where it runs its monthly support group meetings on the second Monday of the month. The meetings take place at the Southend & District Reform Synagogue in Chalkwell. The first meeting of the new year will be on Monday 13, January.

 SAFE Essex also runs support meetings for specific groups of people on the autistic spectrum such as adult women, girls, and spouses of autistic partners. Additionally, SAFE Essex organises activities for teenagers on the spectrum via its Youth Group, and for children aged up to 12 years via its SAFE STUFF (Social Training Using Fun and Friendship) Saturday morning club.

 This initiative is now in its 17th year and has provided hundreds of children on the spectrum the chance to make new friends, engage in fun activities, and gain valuable social skills. The first meeting for the club in the new year will be Saturday 11, January, at the Geek Retreat, Chelmsford.

 For more information about how to become a member of SAFE Essex and take part in our activities, visit: https://www.safeessex.org.uk/ or email SAFE’s Development Worker Andrea Walter at: [email protected]

 Additionally, SAFE is pleased to acknowledge the pro-bono support of designer, Emily Hewitt from IamEmily (https://www.iamemily.co.uk/) for redesigning its new website and logo. All of SAFE’s work relies on donations from individuals and businesses to continue to make a positive impact on hundreds of people with Asperger Syndrome living across Essex.

 If you would like to help continue SAFE’s work to assist others on the spectrum living in the community, you can do so by visiting SAFE’s website: https://www.safeessex.org.uk.

 

Picture: David Norman MBE, former Mayor of Southend.

 

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