Welcome to I AM Insights, our new series that takes you behind the scenes at I AM Celebrating Autism in Greater Manchester. In each edition, we dive into the inspiring journeys and insights of our dedicated team members working to empower the neurodivergent community. In our inaugural interview, we sit down with Board Chair Wes Auden – a long-time autism champion and passionate advocate – to explore his experiences, vision, and the personal drive behind his commitment to I AM.
1. Wes, can you share a bit about your background and what first inspired you to become involved with I AM Celebrating Autism?
My son, Zach, was diagnosed with autism 12 years ago, and as a family, we were left wondering what on earth that meant. We were also given no guidance on where to find support. We felt abandoned by the system, which simply offered medication as a solution for Zach’s previously diagnosed ADHD but nothing for his autism. As many of you will be able to relate to, this was inadequate and rudimentary, involving various trials until the right product helped him focus better.
Fortunately, Ros Patterson, one of the Trustees who later became Chair, had a child at the same school and told us about ASGMA, so we made contact. They initially provided some additional help, signposting us to statutory services whose job it was to support families like ours. Then, when Zach was old enough, they offered him a place at Aspirations. As I saw the work being done to help Zach develop his social skills and shared my concerns for other families in similar situations, Ros began encouraging me to join the Board, which I did in January 2016.
As a Christian, I saw – and still see – my work with I AM as part of my missional calling: something I am called by God to do in serving others and the world for His glory. I have often felt outside my comfort zone, particularly in the earlier years when I didn’t know what I was doing (and sometimes still do), but I know that sharing my knowledge, skills, and experience here is something He has wanted me to do. I’ll keep doing it until He tells me otherwise – or until the Trustees get rid of me.
I want every member to be able to fulfil their potential and their dreams.
2. With a diverse background in Mathematics, Marketing, Recruitment, and HR, how have these experiences shaped your approach to leadership and decision-making within I AM?
My background in mathematics has given me both an analytical and logical approach to problem-solving, which is essential for making sound decisions and providing effective leadership. It has also equipped me with an understanding of financial reports, further reinforced by a Finance for Non-Financial Managers module I studied many years ago. This knowledge enabled me, when I first became Chair, to guide the Trustees – not only in ensuring that we had sufficient funds allocated to meet our commitments in case of unforeseen circumstances but also in gaining a clearer appreciation of the resources available to invest in services and develop new revenue streams.
My experience in marketing, along with my professional career to date, has provided me with a strong commercial understanding. This has helped me lead the team in adopting a more strategic, long-term approach, including diversifying our fundraising and business model. Rather than relying on the hope of repeat funding from a limited number of sources, we have worked to establish a more sustainable financial strategy.
My knowledge of recruitment has enabled me to contribute to the selection of an excellent team of Trustees and Senior Leaders, as well as to support the management team in the hiring process. That said, Claire, one of our former Trustees with a career in recruitment, played a particularly significant role in strengthening our approach in this area.
Finally, my HR experience has helped shape the softer skills necessary for engaging with members, staff, and management teams over the years. This has been particularly valuable when navigating difficult situations or supporting the Trustees in reaching key decisions.
3. Having been related to I AM for nearly 12 years, what are some of the most memorable moments or milestones that have defined your journey with the organisation?
I am proudest of the work undertaken when Helen Lavelle was Chair, when, as a team of Trustees, we re-engineered our service delivery model to ensure members were not isolated by the pandemic. The team of Key and Support Workers, more concerned about the impact of the pandemic on the members than on themselves, adapted to and embraced the new ways of working brilliantly. I was so impressed by their professionalism, as I often am.
I felt honoured to be invited to serve my first term as Chair in 2018 and set out my long-term vision for I AM. This included establishing the number one priority of achieving a balanced budget to ensure the long-term viability of the charity. We achieved this within that one-year term, after many years of losses that had been eating into our financial reserves. Additionally, we recruited a new team of Trustees drawn from a variety of professional backgrounds, transforming the Trustee Board from a group of well-meaning parents into a highly competent team with a broad spectrum of skills, capable of taking the charity forward. We also developed a co-operative model with partners to deliver member-centred services, sowing the seeds for independent revenue-generating operations.
Having completed my theology training, I did not expect to take up the Chair role again, but I was overjoyed that, in my first year back, we managed to generate our first surplus in years. This demonstrated that financial stability was possible while still growing membership and services. We also developed the current strategy, which has enabled the charity to expand its footprint into new areas of our city, create new solutions that provide greater financial stability and independence, and raise the charity’s profile among key strategic decision-makers. As a result, we are beginning to influence the conversation about what it truly means to build autism-friendly cultures.
My hope was that the inaugural Spring Ball would help us build further networks of influential supporters and partnerships, as well as develop services that met the needs of our members in every aspect of their lives, throughout their entire lives. Ultimately, I wanted every member to be able to fulfil their potential and their dreams.
The transition periods between primary and secondary school, secondary and further or higher education, education and employment, and childhood and adulthood are minefields.
4. Your family plays an important role in your life – including having a child who was a member of our Aspirations Service. How has your personal experience as a parent influenced your perspective on I AM’s work?
As Zach has matured and developed from the caring little boy who wasn’t accepted by his peers into the kind, generous man he is today – gaining work experience and progressing through university – I have witnessed the many ways in which his needs, and those of other autistic boys and girls, men and women, are not being met. I love that the development of social skills is not restricted to indirect methods, such as gaming, but is fostered through music, art, fundraising together, and giving back to the community.
The transition periods between primary and secondary school, secondary and further or higher education, education and employment, and childhood and adulthood are minefields. We struggled as parents, Zach struggled with his lived experience, and institutions and employers struggle to navigate the necessary changes and reasonable adjustments required to help autistic people, young and old, flourish. There is much we can learn from – and teach – those incredible SEN professionals and HR practitioners who are doing their best to provide autistic people with the best opportunities to succeed. I believe we have the talent and capability to make a meaningful difference.
Now that he is older, I see Zach’s struggles at university, his challenges in seeking and retaining employment, and the difficulties he may yet face – even if he graduates – in living independently and navigating the welfare system if needed. As a father, and as a passionate advocate for autistic people, it breaks my heart that society is still not set up to meet our needs, except through medication, restrictive residential services, or institutions. I wonder how he, and many like him, will cope, flourish, achieve, and contribute – unless we listen, respond, and act alongside our autistic brothers and sisters. I want to see I AM evolve to hear those voices and develop solutions, in partnership with our members and other organisations, to make Manchester a truly autism-friendly city.
5. Could you describe some of the key services and initiatives that I AM offers, and how they transform the lives of autistic individuals and their families in Greater Manchester?
I believe our highly capable Chief Executive Officer and Marketing Manager could answer this question better than I can. However, I’ll give it a go.
One of the key challenges autistic people face is social interaction. Many avoid it, but it is almost impossible to do so entirely. By providing safe spaces for our members to engage with one another – whether through computer gaming, board games, collaborating in music or art, sharing meals, having a social drink in a city-centre hostelry, fundraising together, or meeting to plan member-led or member-inspired events – we help them develop vital social skills. These skills can then be applied in other areas of life, such as family, home, work, or social settings beyond I AM.
Developing these skills is essential for anyone, autistic or not, to succeed in life and navigate its challenges. I believe the work we do in this area significantly improves our members’ quality of life, as well as that of their families. By fostering and nurturing meaningful connections through these interactions, our members learn the value of relationships, build a sense of self-identity, inclusivity, and belonging – all of which contribute to better mental and physical well-being.
These activities also help to build self-confidence, improve reaction times, encourage a competitive spirit, and develop creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, planning, project management, communication, and fundraising skills. Such skills are transferable when applying for educational or training courses, accessing welfare support, entering the labour market, or demonstrating value to an employer. Unfortunately, too few autistic people are able to find or retain work, secure college places, or attend university, despite their best efforts. Developing these skills gives our members the opportunity to progress academically, build their knowledge and experience, secure employment, and ultimately live more independent lives.
I want to see I AM evolve to hear those voices and develop solutions, in partnership with our members and other organisations, to make Manchester a truly autism-friendly city.
Our one-to-one coaching provides focused, dedicated support to individuals who may be struggling in the areas mentioned above or who need additional assistance for specific reasons, such as preparing for a job application, interview, or starting a new role. However, it’s not just autistic individuals who need advice and support—parents and carers also require guidance in understanding autism, how it impacts their loved ones, how it affects them personally, and what services are available to help them navigate the world of autism. I would love to see a Parents’ and Carers’ Support Group develop and grow to complement our information and advice service, which is a lifeline for many people, including professionals seeking insights.
Listening to our members’ voices has always been, and continues to be, very important to me. While we as Trustees, along with our incredible staff and management teams, have our members’ best interests at heart, their lived experience is not our lived experience. That’s why I was determined to create a platform where their voices could be heard. I am so proud of our members who engage constructively and positively in Community Voice, which is brilliantly facilitated by our Deputy Chair, Debra Bradley. She consistently advocates for our members at Board Meetings, listens to them, and ensures they have the opportunity to share their thoughts and play an active role.
It was fantastic to stand alongside two of our members at the Garrick Theatre in February, watching them engage with the public, promote the charity, and help raise funds. It has also been inspiring to see our members take the lead in fundraising activities over the past year. I was especially delighted when a member raised an AOB at the AGM for consideration, which is now being actively explored. Autistic people’s voices matter.
Finally, we have our commercial services, including Workplace Needs Assessments for employers to help them better support their neurodivergent employees. As a neurodivergent worker myself, I understand the challenges of working from home, which can be isolating, as well as working in an office, which can be distracting, noisy, too bright, and frustrating. I recognise the difficulties of staying focused in meetings, retaining information, presenting, planning, scheduling, structuring conversations, following standard operating procedures, documenting discussions or sales calls, developing workplace relationships, communicating with customers and suppliers, and following instructions. And that’s without considering the mental and emotional energy spent masking, whether consciously or subconsciously.
These tools, along with the other services we continue to develop, help employers, universities, colleges, schools, government agencies, local authorities, and other organisations fulfil their legal and moral responsibilities towards autistic customers, suppliers, workers, students, patients, and service users. Ultimately, they help make our members’ interactions with these institutions—whether as service users, consumers, or employees – more accessible and fully supported.
