High Rise indoor adventure centre in Lisburn has been presented with the prestigious Autism NI Impact Award in recognition of the ways in which the centre supports autistic guests and has created an ‘autism accessible environment’. High Rise, which is owned by local charity and Social Enterprise Employers For Childcare, reopened last year and has since welcomed thousands of excited guests for Clip ‘n Climb, soft play and the state of the art sensory rooms.
Receiving the Award on behalf of High Rise, Employers For Childcare’s Chief Executive, Marie Marin said: “Our mission in developing High Rise was to create a centre which would be inclusive and accessible for everyone – somewhere that families can go to enjoy leisure time together, whatever their needs. We know our sensory rooms in particular are an enormous benefit to families, with some travelling long distances to use our facilities. Our autism tailored Clip ‘n Climb and soft play sessions which take place one Sunday morning a month are also incredibly popular with guests who might find the centre too busy and noisy at other times.
“We are so proud to receive this important Award from Autism NI in recognition of that. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team for all the hard work that went into achieving this, and, most importantly, to recognise the support of our wonderful guests. The feedback since we reopened has been phenomenal and we would like to thank each and every guest who has visited – as a Social Enterprise every single visit helps us to continue the work of our charity, supporting parents locally and across the UK. Finally, I would also like to thank Autism NI who have been a great resource and support to High Rise, and have delivered excellent training to our staff.”
Presenting the Award to High Rise, Christine Kearney, Director of Development at Autism NI commented: “It is a pleasure to present High Rise with the Autism NI Impact Award. This Award demonstrates their commitment to offering a welcoming environment to the 35,000 autistic individuals in Northern Ireland, and their families, and to ensuring that no one is excluded. We have heard just what a difference the centre has already made to families, enabling them to enjoy quality time together, and we are sure that many more will enjoy a fantastic day out in this amazing centre in the years to come. For more information on Autism NI’s Impact Award please get in touch with Autism NI directly”.
High Rise is open for Clip ‘n Climb, soft play and sensory room visits from Thursday to Sunday with autism tailored sessions one Sunday morning each month – guests are advised to pre-book their visits to avoid disappointment.