Autus Cumbria

11/10/2026

We want YOU at our Christmas Market! 🎁🎄🛍

Following last year's success, we'll be hosting another Christmas Market on Sunday 29th November at Cooke's Studios. We'll be hosting stalls in Signal Creates' welcome area plus Theatre Factory's rehearsal space on the first floor.

We are now accepting submissions from neurodivergent stall holders who would like to join us on the day. Stalls are £10.00 each.

Please contact [email protected] with your business name, a short bio, what you sell, and if you need a table provided or if you can bring your own. We may not accept all stalls if we feel there may be too much overlap between businesses.

25/09/2026

Are you an autistic young adult who would like to expand their social skills and meet new people within a non-judgemental group? Autus Cumbria runs a social group in Barrow. Please contact Linda if you would like further information. Please see flyer below

23/09/2026

We will soon be hosting a Lego Club through short breaks with Westmorland and Furness Council. We will have lots of Lego available for people to use including free play with blocks for beginners and more complex sets for expert builders.

This Lego Club is for autistic children and teenagers aged 10 to 15 who enjoy Lego and who prefer a more predictable, low-sensory environment.

If you are registered with shorts breaks and interested in joining the club please email us at [email protected] and we will let you know the start date for the club.

If you are not yet registered for short breaks but interested in attending please email [email protected] and copy (cc) us in at [email protected] so that we know how many people are interested. Registration may take a few months to process.

15/09/2026

We're thrilled to share that we're offering support for autistic adults who are looking for employment or are in employment but would like advice on how they might improve their working environment and relationships.

We’re based at The Bridge on Portland Walk in Barrow. Linda will be offering drop-in sessions each Wednesday from 11:30pm - 3:30pm to help support with the following:
💡Recognising your skills
📝 Creating a successful CV
🗣 Interview preparation and what to expect
💬 Reasonable adjustments and how to ask for them
🛂 Creating an autism passport to help your employer understand how to support you in the workplace.

Meetings can be arranged through Microsoft Teams or Zoom as well.
For further information email [email protected]

17/08/2026

Join our friends at Raise: Cumbria Community Forest for a practical volunteer day helping to survey the new woodland Parkview Fields, Barrow-in-Furness. This is a practical, hands-on day outdoors focused on maintaining and strengthening the young trees on site.

These sessions is part of their neuroaffirming volunteer programme. It offers a structured, welcoming space to build skills, spend time outdoors and contribute to long-term woodland creation.

Spaces are limited so please sign up in advance below:

🌳 Saturday 5th September - https://www.raisecumbria.co.uk/upcoming-events/parkview-05-sep-2026

🍃 Thursday 1st October - https://www.raisecumbria.co.uk/upcoming-events/parkview-01-oct-2026

Join us for a practical volunteer day helping to maintain recently planted woodland. Our volunteer days are open to everyone and follow a neuro-affirming approach, creating a welcoming experience for all. Please sign up in advance to take part.

28/07/2026

We’ve recently started our Art Sessions with local artist Jess Levine which has invited our members to play with a variety of artistic techniques including collage and geli plate printing.

16/07/2026

We still have places left on our art sessions with Jess Levine for autistic adults. If you are interested in art or just want to meet other autistic adults in a friendly atmosphere please see the details below and email us to join

14/07/2026

This Summer, Autus Cumbria are running 1:1 sessions teaching parents and carers responsive communication techniques with Jemma Swales 💙

Here's what some past parents have said about the training.

"Jemma treated us and our son as individuals, it was refreshing to work with a practitioner who valued his individual behaviours, such as lying down on the floor with him to connect with him and showing us how to apply Responsive Communication."

"Jemma instantly put us at ease. She was very welcoming and provided a relaxed atmosphere Jemma talked us through Responsive Communication, gave demonstrations and gently unpicked any misconceptions or inaccuracies we both had."

"Our son and I went for a walk and I was able to use the techniques Jemma had showed to do a back and forth 'conversation' with my son and even better our son was smiling at me first and looking for me to smile back for shared enjoyment."

If you are a parent/carer of an autistic person who uses non-verbal communication, these sessions are a wonderful way to help you connect and communicate with your child through sounds, movement and rhythm.

This neuro-affirming technique helps not only with communication but also with supporting behaviour and learning.

Dates:
Friday 24th July
Friday 31st July
Friday 14th August
Friday 21st August

There are 2 spaces available each day from:
9.15am-10.15am and 10.30am-11.30am

The session can take place at your home.

Contact [email protected] to book.

08/07/2026

SHINE for Autism ran an Emotionally Based School Avoidance workshop for parent carers late last year and would love to run one for professionals in the near future. We hope that this will help professionals support parent carers in making informed decisions and choices.

This workshop would be online so we are just gauging interest and an idea of what times would work best for people before we book?

If you are interested please message our page or Julie Craghill Was McQuire 😃

08/07/2026

Are you interested in meeting other autistic individuals in the area. Triple A have opportunities to join their social groups.