Last year for Autism Acceptance Week, as a school, Monteagle raised money for the Sycamore Trust charity, based in Dagenham and Romford. In total, we raised just over £400 which was fantastic, and hopefully we can raise that little bit more this year to support families in our school and the local area who need that guidance and love outside of school times.

The Sycamore trust is a charity that works with families with autism at home. They offer advice to families in challenging situations when out in public, as well as give support with filling in important documents that are challenging to complete. The have sensory rooms and quiet spaces for children to go to, particularly the space in Romford shopping centre.

To add to this, all staff that work or volunteer at the charity have autism, or have a close autistic family member, be it a sibling, child or parent. This means they are fully committed to their roles and know how it feels to live with an autistic person, and they are always happy to sit and listen and offer tips and ideas on what has worked in their personal lives.

Here at Monteagle, we have the largest ARP in the Barking & Dagenham borough, supporting over 50 children daily. We work with those families every day and do what we can, but outside of school hours or holidays, families may feel alone or lost. This is where the Sycamore Trust can step in and be that support, that rock for families!

To raise money for this amazing and local charity, we are running Autism Acceptance Week from Tuesday 16th - Friday 19th April. Plus, on the Friday, we will be hosting the Sycamore Trust's fundraising event, 'Dare to Be Different'. This is where children and adults can dress up in anything they like; pyjamas, football kits, fancy dress, you name it!

All we ask is that just £1 is donated to the charity via this JustGiving page, as well as bringing the money into school on that day. Please feel free to donate what you can, as every penny (or pound) will help those who need it most!

Thank you!

From,

Monteagle Primary School