Police donate £500 to autism charity

Community Safety Superintendent Sam Donaldson said: “Much of the work we do every day as police officers is about helping people, however the District Neighbourhood Team felt it was important to do something extra in support of a local charity.

“Following an energetic but enjoyable day of hiking in the Sperrins, and thanks to kind donations from family and friends, we were able to raise 500 for Autism NI.”

Autism NI is Northern Ireland’s Autism charity and works to provide life changing services for the 20,000 people affected by Autism throughout Northern Ireland. Formed in 1989 by a group of concerned parents and professionals, the charity seeks to ensure that people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder and their carers have access to appropriate services, enabling people with Autism to become valued members of the community. The charity supports a network of 32 branches and local support groups across Northern Ireland and provides support, information and training for individuals with Autism and their families.

Kerry Boyd, Autism NI’s Fundraising Manager, said: “I would like to thank the PSNI team for their efforts and for fundraising such a significant amount of money for their local Autism NI branch in Derry. The money will be used to support the many Autism families living locally and this generous donation will make a massive difference to a relatively small charity.”