A shared effort to support learning outside the classroom

The RiskSTOP Group team at the Autism Unlimited site, ready to get stuck in.

On Monday 20th May, six members of the RiskSTOP Group team traded their desks for spades, volunteering their time to support charity partner Autism Unlimited in transforming a green space into a safe, enriching environment for students.

Livia Peterkin, Emma Bartlett, Bethany Hodge, Abbie Davis, Kelly Haynes, and Natalie Joyce all spent the day at one of Autism Unlimited’s sites helping to revitalise a large outdoor area. The space, once overgrown and underused, will now become a vibrant hub for environmental education, sensory enrichment, and wellbeing.

Autism Unlimited supports children and adults on the autism spectrum across the South of England. Their work extends beyond the classroom, focusing on life skills, independence, and community connection – something this outdoor area will help facilitate.

“Being able to step out of the office and do something physical, while also knowing we were helping to create a space these students can enjoy, was a great feeling,” said Emma Bartlett.“It’s different from our day-to-day work, but we could all see how valuable this kind of support is.”

Emma helping clear the space for future student activities.

This volunteering day is one of several ways RiskSTOP has supported Autism Unlimited in recent months.

“It was such a rewarding experience,” added Bethany Hodge. “It makes you think about the different ways we can contribute and how something like improving an outdoor space can have a real, lasting effect on someone's wellbeing.”

Volunteers hard at work giving the green space a new lease of life.

“Opportunities like this remind you that even a few hours of your time can mean something,” said Livia Peterkin. “It’s about helping where it’s needed and hopefully making a small difference.”

RiskSTOP Group volunteers alongside other volunteers after a successful day.

To learn more about the incredible work Autism Unlimited is doing, visit autism-unlimited.org or check out our previous stories about this meaningful partnership on the RiskSTOP Group News Hub.