Autism charity to host 24-hour swimming event in Graigue pool
Members of the Autism Heroes Swim Group pictured at the final session of their eight-week swim programme at Graiguecullen swimming pool. Also pictured are their dedicated swim instructors who supported them throughout the course Photos: michaelorourkephotography.ie
AUTISM Heroes, a charity that gives support to children with autism and their families, will host a 24-hour swimming event to help fund special classes for its members.
Children have just completed a term of one-to-one swimming classes in Graiguecullen swimming pool, so Louise Moran-Burnett, founder of Autism Heroes, is already planning on how to fund the next set of classes.
“Running these lessons is quite costly because we strive to create a safe and suitable environment for the children involved, who might not be able to participate in regular swimming lessons. Our goal is to raise sufficient funds to sustain these lessons consistently for a year and to keep them heavily subsidised for our families,” explained Louise.
She continued: “We are hosting a 24-hour swim event on 13 and 14 September, starting at 5pm in Graiguecullen swimming pool to raise funds for individualised swimming lessons. So far, our lessons have been generously funded by Carlow Development Partnership.”
Autistic children are 160 times more likely to drown than their neurotypical peers, a statistic that keeps these lessons top of Autism Heroes priority list.
