Autism Berkshire CEO Jane Stanford-Beale has been honoured for services to autistic young people and their families by being made a Member of Order of the British Empire (MBE) in King Charles III’s first Birthday Honours list.
Jane has been Chief Executive Officer of Autism Berkshire since 2015, holding the role for several years as an unpaid volunteer, after previously serving as the chair of the charity’s board of trustees.
Her first contact with the charity came in 2011 as the parent of an autistic child, seeking information and advice.
She said: “I was so surprised when I was told about the honour. It still doesn’t seem real but I’m delighted that the work that I and all the team at Autism Berkshire do to support autistic people and their families has been recognised.
“When I became the charity’s chief executive officer, I wanted to transform the support services that we provided.
“We have achieved a lot, including securing NHS funding to launch the Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service at the start of 2021 and the Berkshire Adult Autism Support Service at the end of 2022, but there is still more to do, with increasing numbers of children and adults throughout Berkshire being diagnosed as autistic.”
Jane is also a non-executive director of Reading Buses and was an elected member of Reading Borough Council, representing the Peppard ward from 2012 until 2022.
In connection with her role as a councillor, she twice served as a member of the Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Authority. She was a governor at New Bridge Nursery School in Caversham for 16 years and a non-executive director of the old Reading NHS Primary Care Trust.
Jane was one of just 22 people in England and Wales honoured as a Census 2021 Community Heroes Purple Plaque award winner, in recognition of her contribution to the community. She received a Prime Minister’s Point of Light award for services to the voluntary sector in 2016.
- Jane is pictured at one of our current art workshops for autistic adults, which take place at Beech Lodge School, near Maidenhead. Picture: Chris Forsey
