Meet Claire
Claire began volunteering by helping to raise awareness and acceptance in her community. She now works as a project co-ordinator for our charity.
Claire's daughter, Rebecca, is autistic and when she was first diagnosed, Claire turned to the National Autistic Society for help. Rebecca took part in social groups and post-diagnostic groups, while Claire got support from parent information groups.
Claire went on to take a Masters in Autism at the University of Strathclyde, and volunteered for the National Autistic Society to gain invaluable experience.
"The support that my daughter and the rest of us as a family received was invaluable and I wanted to become involved in sharing this experience with others."
We asked Claire a few questions
What was the most rewarding part of volunteering for the charity?
It's giving back, supporting others and really seeing people progress in the online meetings from not having their camera on to talking to others and making friends. It is so rewarding watching people grow in confidence.
Would you recommend volunteering for the National Autistic Society and why?
I would highly recommend volunteering as it is very rewarding. The value in volunteering is massive, it has helped me grow and develop my own self-awareness, as well as progress within my career. I found the training provided to be excellent, along with my personal experience and my masters degree. I feel I have gained so much more insight into understanding and supporting my daughter and building her resilience and understanding of herself.