Hello and thank you for visiting my page.

My name is Jack and on the 23^rd of April 2023 I’m running the London Marathon in support of the National Autistic Society, which is a fantastic charity close to mine and my family's hearts.

At the age of 3, my brother Tom was diagnosed with autism.  I often think about how stressful those first few years must have been for my parents; new life and young children are scary enough but when your child is slow to develop speech and cognitive functions, every moment is made all the more anxious and terrifying.

Whilst autism can be amazing and push the boundaries of what you thought the human brain was capable of, I have seen first-hand how much autism has had an impact on not just my brother’s life, but my family too, in particular my mum and dad. 

Tom is an amazing young man, he’s incredibly self-assured and happy within himself. He has developed from a wrecking ball of energy as a child into a polite young man. I’m very proud of him and of my parents for what they have achieved in nurturing Tom into what he is today. Life isn’t easy for the autistic community; change is difficult, people can be cruel, and sometimes when your disability is not visible it can be hard for people to understand the barriers it presents.

Tom has flourished through the support of specialist schools and communities catered to his needs, and he now lives happily in an assisted living property which gives him enough independency to walk his own path as a young adult whilst still receiving the care he needs.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) provide a great deal of support to families navigating life with autism. They run specialist schools, campaign for improved rights, and train companies on being more autism friendly and aware. Tom attended events put on by NAS as a child and it gave him the chance to socialise in an autism friendly environment, but also gave my parents the opportunity to meet other parents with autistic children and build a support network of friends going through the same experiences.

The National Autistic Society is dedicated to transforming lives and changing attitudes. I believe they are a major driver behind spreading awareness of autism, which has seriously advanced and improved since the early 90s when Tom was diagnosed.

I would really appreciate your support in raising not only money but awareness of a fantastic charity. Your donation will help them to continue the work they do and contribute to the support they provide to the 700,000 autistic people in the UK, as well as their families.

I appreciate that times are tough and anything you can give is massively appreciated in getting me to my target fundraising goal.

I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity and I know that when the fatigue is setting in, I’ll grit my teeth and push through thanks to your support and in the knowledge that together we are helping to improve the lives of individuals affected by autism across the nation.

Thank you and much love.

Jack x