Helen Harris, our autism development worker for East Berkshire, is retiring next week, after working for the charity since 2007.
She is pictured above, back, centre, at an Art in the Summer workshop last year, with Autism Berkshire’s CEO Jane Stanford-Beale, left, and Sophie England, whose family raised funding for the project.
A qualified social worker, she joined the charity at the start of 2007 to carry out an assessment of needs for autistic adults. This led to the launch of the Bear With Me social group in Maidenhead in September that year, in conjunction with Windsor & Maidenhead council.
Helen has been the lead facilitator of the group ever since. Its first meeting, at the Que Pasa restaurant, was attended by just six people, but rapid growth in the numbers turning up on Wednesday evenings meant it moved first to The Pond House pub and then, in February 2011, to The Bear pub, which has been its home ever since and inspired the group’s name.
More than 40 people turn up each week in the upstairs function room at The Bear, out of 70 who are registered to attend the group’s meetings.
She will say farewell to the group’s members at its Christmas party next Wednesday, December 18, at Maidenhead Rugby Club.
Helen also advised many autistic adults and their families about a wide range of concerns and problems over the past 17 years and co-ordinated our community education courses for adults, initially delivering courses about Independent Living and the National Autistic Society’s Socialeyes course at venues in Langley and Reading.
To replace these, Helen developed an in-house course for Autism Berkshire called Chop & Chat, which was first run at Langley College in the autumn of 2019 and early 2020. It combines preparing, cooking and sharing a meal each week with discussions about life skills, developing conversation skills, and problem-solving, with the aim of boosting self-esteem and improving participants’ education, training and employment prospects.
During the Covid pandemic, she adapted the course to deliver it online in 2021. For the past two years, it has taken place during the autumn at Beech Lodge School, on the outskirts of Maidenhead. The latest course finished on Monday this week.
And in response to requests from Bear With Me members in a survey, Helen also facilitated a new daytime activity group for autistic adults, called Walk & Talk.
A trial walk in the summer of 2021 alongside the River Thames from Bourne End to Maidenhead proved popular and funding was then secured to launch a regular group in early 2022, which meets fortnightly on Tuesday mornings.
Supported by retired speech and language therapist Helen Brookes, who has just stepped down from working for Autism Berkshire, Helen has led the group on walks at a wide range of locations in the east of Berkshire and nearby, which have attracted a loyal following – she is pictured, right, with group members at Boulters Lock in Maidenhead in October last year.
Her final activity with the group, next Tuesday, December 17, will be a visit to the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham for a guided tour of its winter exhibition, Seeing the Unseen, followed by a short walk around the village and a stop at a café.
Another project spearheaded by Helen for the past two years was Art in the Summer – workshops for autistic adults to showcase their artistic skills, supported by a specialist tutor, with these sessions also kindly hosted by Beech Lodge School. The workshops were funded by donations in memory of former teacher Nancy England, who used to work alongside Helen delivering Autism Berkshire’s courses for autistic adults until her death at the start of 2020.
Helen said: “I have decided that it is now time for me to step back and enjoy more time with my family.
“Over the years, there have been many changes, but one thing has remained constant: the unwavering support of Autism Berkshire and our members.
“When funding for Bear With Me from the council ceased in 2019, it was through the dedication of Autism Berkshire and generous contributions from partners such as the Shanly Foundation and the Louis Baylis Trust that we were able to continue our work and provide a safe, welcoming space for everyone who needed it.
“Looking ahead, I am thrilled to share that my son Scott, who has been a key member of the group since 2016, will be taking over from me as the new lead facilitator. Scott has been an integral part of the group’s success, and I have every confidence that he will continue to build on the strong foundation we’ve established and carry the group forward with the same passion and commitment that we’ve always strived for.
“It has been an incredible privilege to serve this wonderful community, and I want to thank everyone for their support, friendship and commitment to the groups over the years. I look forward to staying in touch as I begin my retirement.”
Autism Berkshire’s CEO, Jane Stanford-Beale MBE, said: “Helen has been the driving force behind Autism Berkshire and our services for adults for many years.
“We are very grateful for the support that she has given so many autistic people and their families in Berkshire and all wish her a long and happy retirement.”
