(From left to right: CEO of Remarkable, Robin Bush; head of adult services at Ascent College, Julliet Doherty; Ascent College student, Will; director / founder of DAB, Anne-Marie Atherton; employment engagement officer at Ascent College, Tara Thomas; bid writer and fundraiser at DAB, Grace Tompkins.)
Ascent Autism Specialist College in Newton-le-Willows has been awarded a £20,000 grant to develop its autistic students’ digital skills and support future employment opportunities.
The £20,000 contribution was given to Ascent College by The National Lottery Community Fund, for its new, two-year programme, ‘Inspire + Connect: Digital Futures for Neurodiverse Youth’. The project aims to encourage creativity, foster a legacy of confidence and inspire autistic young adults between the ages of 16 to 25 to pursue careers in the £108 billion creative digital sector.
The college is working in conjunction with Digital Arts Box CIC (DAB) and its team of experts, who provide creative opportunities and experiences that make a social impact. Together, they will use their expertise to co-develop and deliver workshops tailored to neurodiverse students with an interest in digital arts.
The two-year programme comprises of 28 sessions, providing 420 opportunities for student participation in a range of workshops that will utilise state-of-the-art equipment and cover topics such as animation, video game design, digital art, and coding.
Julliet Doherty, head of adult services at Ascent Autism Specialist College, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been awarded this grant by The National Lottery Community Fund. It is vital that we equip our young adults with the knowledge and skills needed for employment, and this will grant will allow us to deliver expert, sector specific skills in a thriving industry that’s only going to continue growing.
“Our autistic students remain at the forefront of all decisions made and all workshop sessions will be tailored to them. Through surveys and discussions, they will influence the topics covered and activities completed to ensure the programme is engaging and relevant to their needs. I would like to thank the team at Digital Arts Box CIC for the support they have provided and look forward to working with them on this exciting and inspiring project.”
DAB began working with Ascent College last year to deliver a series of creative taster sessions to students and later returned to provide CPD training to teaching staff on how to incorporate film and digital media into their classroom practice.
After seeing the positive impact made in the creative and CPD sessions, Ascent College and DAB were keen to develop a sustained partnership. Having delivered successful community projects before, DAB identified The National Lottery Community Fund as an ideal opportunity to support the launch of the two-year programme.
Grace Tompkins, bid writer and fundraiser at Digital Arts Box CIC, who worked with Tara Thomas, Ascent College’s employer engagement officer, to write the bid commented: “We’re absolutely delighted to have secured this funding alongside Ascent College. It’s been a joy working with the college’s young people, and we’re excited to return with even more creative opportunities that will inspire, include, and empower.
“By introducing state-of-the-art creative technology, we aim to help students explore new forms of self-expression and nurture both confidence and creativity.”
The two-year programme will start in the next academic year and sessions will be held at the college’s new site which is opening on The Parks Business Park in September.
The programme will be open to all students at the college, which was recently nationally accredited by ‘The Quality In Careers Standard’, as it continues to offer personalised pathways to independence and employment.
Ascent Autism Specialist College is part of the Remarkable Autism Charity. The charity supports autistic individuals aged five to 25 through integrated services, including Wargrave House School and Sundial Therapy.
CEO of Remarkable Autism Charity, Robin Bush, added: “We are thrilled that this £20,000 National Lottery grant will transform the lives of autistic young adults by equipping them with vital digital skills.
“This funding unlocks crucial future opportunities, empowering our students to communicate, create, and thrive. Thank you to the National Lottery players for making this possible.”
