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Jon Snow receives an art work produced by children, from TreeHouse chief executive Ian Wylie |
TV star hails kids charity
In 10 years, school with only four pupils is transformed into national body
CHANNEL 4 TV newscaster Jon Snow and officials from Arsenal FC paid warm tributes to a north London charity which runs a popular school for autistic children, at an event in the City last week.
Guests at the event praised TreeHouse, a charity based in Hornsey, for providing a lifeline to parents with autistic children.
They heard that, according to the latest government statistics, one in 100 school-age children has autism, and 27 per cent of them have been excluded from school – the majority more than once. Autism affects communication, social understanding and behaviour
However, there are only 7,500 specialist places nationwide for 90,000 children with the condition.
And only 22 per cent of teachers working with children with autism have had specific training.
Mr Snow, a long-standing supporter of the national charity, said: “The remarkable thing about TreeHouse is that, not only does it transform the lives of its school pupils, it also reaches out to 15 other areas in the UK and will be able to reach more in future.”
Mr Snow took on the role of quizmaster at last week’s event which raised money for the charity’s new National Centre for Autism Education in Muswell Hill.
Representatives from TreeHouse’s corporate supporters, such as Arsenal Football Club and communications firm TalkTalk, tackled questions put to them by the newscaster at the evening sponsored by law firm DLA Piper.
One of the charity’s founders, Virginia Bovell, whose son has autism, said: “Thanks to the amazing energy, skill and determination of a wonderful team of people, in 10 years TreeHouse has grown from a special school for four founding pupils in a room in the Royal Free Hospital into the national charity for autism education.”
She added: “Every school, every street is likely to have a child with autism.”
The event at Clothworkers’ Hall raised £15,000. |
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