The Together Trust Achievement Awards have been held at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park to celebrate the accomplishments of our children and young people.
The Together Trust provide a wide range of support services including specialist education, fostering, residential, community and family support to young people and adults with autism and complex needs.
Awards were presented in front of friends and family in recognition of efforts to overcome barriers to learning, improvements in communication, participation in activities, dedication and enthusiasm.
Special guests included the Lord Mayor of Manchester Eddy Newman and former Elbow drummer Richard Jupp.
Richard, who has a teenage son with Asperger’s, is a patron of the Autism Research Trust (ART) and the National Autistic Society (NAS).
He said: “The work that the staff at the Together Trust is doing is amazing and humbling.
“When my son was diagnosed with Asperger’s there was a lot of fighting that we had to do to get support.
“I think a lot of people are scared of autism or differences of any kind.”
He added: “We need to give everybody the opportunities to try new things whenever possible, you never know what people are capable of until you give them the opportunity to try.”
Service Director Jill Sheldrake added: “The awards are an important annual event for the Together Trust.
“We believe that everybody deserves an equal chance in life and our services are there to ensure that we give people the support they need to gain confidence and exceed their expectations.
“The event is a chance for us to publically recognise these accomplishments.”
Entertainment was provided on the night by musicians from Ashcroft School, who have only been performing together for a short time.
Members of the band were each presented with an award for representing Ashcroft School and musical education at Together Trust.
Richard, who also runs drum sessions for young people, was impressed by the performance from the students at Ashcroft.
He said: “The band were incredible considering the amount of time they’ve been playing, I was blown away.
“Drumming is the oldest form of communication, it can help you to get rid of your frustrations if you’ve had a rubbish day.”