Hoe Grange Holidays near Brassington recognised for providing an autism-friendly environment service.

Owners David and Felicity Brown are delighted that Hoe Grange Holidays has been granted the Autism Friendly Award by the National Autistic Society, the UK's leading charity for autistic people.

From the beginning in 2006 inclusivity has been at the heart of the holiday business. The four wheelchair accessible log cabins were designed with access for all in mind, whilst providing a real “home from home” feel. Always striving to improve facilities The Autism Friendly Award is a valuable development.

The award recognises the organisation's autism-friendly practice, including staff training, prebooking visits, detailed accessibility guides, 3D tours of the accommodation and more. The cabins are also decorated in natural, muted colours creating a restful, low arousal environment.

The Autism Friendly Award is a leading accreditation programme set up by the National Autistic Society to help businesses play their part to create more welcoming environments and make a difference to the lives of autistic people throughout the UK.

To gain the Autism Friendly Award, businesses have to meet set standards and follow a framework to demonstrate to customers that their business offers an autism-friendly environment and service. Over 300 organisations are now accredited.

Owner Felicity from Hoe Grange Holidays said: "We love sharing our special rural location with guests. Our peaceful setting enables autistic people to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. A calm environment means they can make the most of their holiday with family or friends. We go the extra mile to rearrange furniture and provide additional support to accommodate specific needs”.

Christine Flintoff-Smith, Head of Accreditation at the National Autistic Society, said: “Hoe Grange Holidays should be exceptionally proud of their achievement. The National Autistic Society's Autism Friendly Award sets high standards, that owners David and Felicity Brown have worked incredibly hard to meet. There is clear evidence of a strong commitment to making Hoe Grange Holidays accessible for autistic people and their families and a willingness to work in partnership with other organisations to achieve this goal”.

"There are approximately 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Autism is a spectrum condition. This means autistic people have their own strengths and varying and complex needs, from 24-hour care to simply needing clearer communication and a little longer to do things. Without the right support or understanding, autistic people can become extremely isolated."

"The Autism Friendly Award highlights good autism practice and we are very pleased to mark Hoe Grange Holidays' achievement. It is a great thing in itself and, we believe, will inspire other businesses to improve the way they support autistic people."