Supporting young adults with autism

I am excited to be joining this wonderful pilgrimage to raise funds for AIABA - an Italian charity that runs a well established school for children with autism in Florence.  The charity is raising funds for a special project to provide residential care for adults with autism such that there will be a safe and caring place for them to live once their parents/families are no longer able to fulfill that role.  

We are a group of 14 walkers who were at school together in the 70s and 80s and now we aim to tackle this walking challenge to raise awareness and particularly funds to support these young adults with autism.  The families of these vulnerable youngsters need to know that when they can no longer care for their adult child there will be a safe and suitable place for them to live (however near or far into the future that might be).  Young people with autism will never be able to live independently and will always need a specialist residential home of some sort.   This project is going to require funds both now and into the future.  I hope that our contribution will help to get it off the starting block and into reality. 

Our walk is along the ancient pilgrimage route - Via Francigena in Tuscany for approx 100 km in 4 days and will test us all in our fitness and resilience.   This is a small section of a walk that starts in Canterbury and ends in Rome.  We start the walk on Monday Oct 17th and we will be staying in hostels and Monasteries along the way - taking in the beauty of the Tuscan countryside.  

Please sponsor us if you are able to.  Thanks for your support....