So This Is Me!

So This Is Me - sitting here writing my first ever blog.  My intention for this blog is not to be clever and witty and all knowing, I'm not smart enough for that (or maybe that's just not my motivation).  What I do want to do though is to share my random, and very personal views on life the universe and everything from music (which I'm bound to rant on about) to parenthood, to autism (you'll understand why soon enough), to science and beyond.

So let's start with Where I'm At.
First the bare basics I'm a 44 year old East Londoner (not hipster East London but, born n bred East London) happily married to H for almost 21 years and with 3 kids - my daughter Dobbs 17, and my two sons Splodge 14 and RJ 9.  Both boys are diagnosed with autism spectrum conditions and Dobbs, H and myself are all going through diagnosis for the same at the moment.

As for employment?  Well, this is kind of why I felt compelled to write in the first place.  Two years ago I left my safe, secure job at The Department for Education after 12 years of never really fitting in.  I did this for a number of reasons if I'm honest, including to save my sanity (seriously), to spend more time caring for my two boys (mainly) and with a mad idea of starting something to help as many people as possible to understand what autism is, is about and for them to accept the extraordinary and amazing people who are on the autism spectrum, and their families.  A kind of one by one approach to making a society that works better for my family.  This idea took form as an adaptable programme of awareness training which I call Perspectives 100.

2 years down the line and I find myself busier than I ever was whilst working for others but, mostly in a completely voluntary capacity.  I have been Branch Officer for a local branch of The National Autistic Society (NAS) for the last 3 years and with a short supply of committee members and chairing the local authority's Autism Strategy Steering Group (for free), I'm constantly on my toes.
I also volunteer for a local media company and radio station that helps hard to reach young people get qualified for the media industries and old codgers like me pretend to be superstar djs again!  I can't tell you how much I love this and if I had the money, I'd buy the whole lot and do this full time.

Shortly after leaving the DfE I was approached via a mutual friend by a man with a huge vision to help those with disabilities through the finances and support of those who have the best opportunities you can have, and my Perspectives 100 programme has been incorporated into this vision.  However, this vision is so large that it has taken the two years to get to stage one.

So This Is Me - making connections in the local community, helping others with problems, promoting young local talent, trying to help others understand the autism community, having a blast playing my favourite music to anyone who will listen, helping local authorities make the right decisions, raising funds for charity and being a dad and husband to the best family in the world… and not making a bean!

So apart from concerns about making ends meet, Where I'm At is… Happier than I have ever been (anyone who wants to make me absolutely delirious by giving me some work that pays should shout now!)