Cardiff Train Walk
On Saturday 4 July, The National Autistic Society Cymru (NAS Cymru) Cardiff and Vale branch held its inaugural Thomas & Friends Train Walk. The event took place at Roath Park in Cardiff, and was based on the classic Thomas & Friends books and characters.
The Train Walk saw local families and friends walk laps of the park together in a long train to help raise vital funds for Cardiff and Vale branch. Funds raised will go towards providing branch services such as parent-to-parent support, awareness events, local campaigning and family activities.
Many children with autism have a particular love of Thomas & Friends. Recent research revealed that a number parents felt that the characters played a significant role in their child's early learning and development. For children who may have little or no understanding of emotions, body language and facial communication, the bright colours and clear expressions make the characters easy to identify and relate to.
Paul Murphy, NAS Cymru Cardiff and Vale branch officer, said:
"Our first ever Train Walk was a fantastic event, giving a number of people affected by autism in the area the chance to socialise, have some exercise in the sunshine, and raise money for our branch. Autism is much more common than most people think it affects over 26,000 people in Wales, and events like this help people affected by autism to raise awareness of the condition among others in the community. I would like to thank everyone who contributed their support will go some way to help us carry on providing support locally."