Autism Hampshire celebrates £280,000 of National Lottery funding for community groups

30th April 2025

Autism Hampshire is celebrating a major funding boost after being awarded £280,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The grant will be used to fund Autism Hampshire’s vital community groups for autistic adults - free peer-led, social groups across Hampshire and online.

Awarded through the Reaching Communities programme, the funding will support the Serendipity Community Groups across the next five years along with other fundraising, grants and donations.

It will secure the future of 19 groups and help Autism Hampshire invest in the project’s long-term sustainability, for example, strengthening the peer and volunteer-led model to build community ownership of the groups.

Other plans include increasing the number of trained volunteers from 20 to 50, many of whom will be autistic people themselves; hiring a dedicated volunteer coordinator; and introducing more evening and weekend sessions to reach autistic adults in employment.

Cheryl Claxton, Autism Hampshire’s Head of Community Services, said: “Through our groups, autistic people can find a sense of belonging, gain confidence, and feel accepted for who they are. We’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund, and its players, for enabling us to continue this for the next five years.

“This funding means we can continue to grow a network that is shaped by its members and driven by the belief that every autistic person deserves the opportunity to connect, thrive and be valued.”

The Serendipity Community Groups provide a safe and welcoming space for autistic people to build friendships, reduce isolation, and develop confidence and independence.

With more than 240 active members, the groups have become a lifeline for many at a time when rising living costs and public sector cuts have increased the need for community-based support.

One Serendipity Community Group member shared: “Attending the groups gives me a purpose and something to look forward to. I’ve made good friends, and it has given me more confidence.

“This is the first social group in my life where I feel relaxed. I can be myself without any judgement or bullying. This group is like gold dust - it has saved me.”

The funding will also enable Autism Hampshire to develop leadership opportunities for autistic adults by developing additional volunteer opportunities, and foster wider community connections through workshops, talks, and events with partner organisations.

Autism Hampshire, the leading local autism charity in Hampshire, previously received a grant of £245,801 which helped people to recover from the pandemic as well as expand the number of groups from just seven in 2022.

There are now 16 groups running across Basingstoke, Bordon, Eastleigh, Gosport, Havant, Lyndhurst Group (New Forest), Portsmouth, Shirley - Southampton, Totton, Winchester and online as well as skills based groups for art, drama, life skills and walking. There are also plans to open a new running group, as well as a choir group over the next few months.

To find out more about Autism Hampshire’s Serendipity Community Groups, visit autismhampshire.org.uk/Serendipity.