Aspies For Freedom

http://www.aspiesforfreedom.org/autistic...vents.html

The page has been updated. It now shows the planned events so far. If you have any plans yourself, let us know.

I'm just wondering about the event in Manchester... what's been organised?  Have you just booked the room?  What else is happening?

Maybe if I can rope in a willing assistant (victim mwahahaha!) with a bit of help, we could raise some grant funding to help out with this event.  Apart from kingdomofrats, do you know of anyone else in the Manchester area?  The members database isn't accessible now is it?

I've just found this information about 'Change Grants' for small community organisations in Manchester:

http://www.manchester.gov.uk/voluntary/g...change.htm

We could apply for a grant of up to £1,000.  

I can get some costings but figure we would need publicity materials - some posters, and also flyers for putting in public places.

Then we could have some catering in the meeting room, maybe a buffet?  Free food usually guarantees a better turnout!  I don't know if the grants would normally cover catering costs, but we could maybe justify it, saying that lots of Aspies have special diets and wouldn't be able to use the cafe facilities in the building.

Costs for publicising/decorating the room?

Maybe we wouldn't have enough funds for something like a high profile speaker about AS, but also, maybe we could so something a bit more fun in the way of having a seminar/training event, such as a 'flirt class'?   I remember reading an article a while back about a consultant who gives flirting training, not just for 'dating' purposes, but seminars were aimed at people in the workplace, because it can be about developing social and professional relationships as well, because it's about recognising body language and other non-verbal cues.  Don't know how much such a thing would cost, but it might be a fun element to the day if it could be arranged?

Erm, any other ideas?

BTW, Amy/Gareth, does AFF have a bank account that could process a payment if we receive a grant?  They usually pay the grants by cheque.  If not, I could ask the tenants association where I live, because I'm based in Manchester.

Maybe we could get the Graphic Design students from Greenwich University to help design the posters and publicity materials, to help make amends for the awful NAAR one?   :lol:

The room at the science museum in Manchester has been offered for free by them after I approached them with the idea.

We do not have any funds for refreshments yet. I am waiting to hear back from one possibility for sponsoring refreshments for the day.

Any refreshments, or speaker, would have to be suitable for children and adults on the spectrum, as we hope that families with kids, and adults will attend.

Anything you can do in the way of  finding a speaker, refreshments, etc will be great.

We do not have a bank account as Gareth and myself cannot take responsibility for being treasurer as well as the other duties we already have.
What we really, really need is someone to act as treasurer and someone to act as secretary, and then we could start the process to become a charity. We can't do it on our own.
Fishy has been giving us some advice about it.

I'd be willing to take on a formal role if you're looking to put AFF on a more formal/charitable footing.

I'm looking into the idea of applying for a grant to cover expenses in Manchester, any suitable grant schemes I come across, I'll double check the details and then run them by you.

I know from my experiences with other community groups in my neighbourhood that although you do need a bank account to receive the grant cheque or bank transfer, the organisation itself doesn't have to have a bank account, because if you're a small organisation voluntary group without a bank account, if you can find another organisation to receive the monies into their bank account on your behalf, that's okay.  

But what the funders don't like to do (and will usually refuse to do) is to pay monies into an individual's bank account.  

I'll ask my local tenants group if they'd accept the money into their bank if that's okay with you, Amy/Gareth?  What would happen is that the cheque would be paid into their account, but then monies would be either withdraw by cheques or in cash to cover the agreed expenses, but either way, all the money would have to be accounted for by way of invoices and receipts, so it's all completely above board and accountable.

And I only live about ten minutes away from the Science Museum as well!

Any tips about the dietary restrictions?  How strict are people?  I know gluten is sometimes a problem.  What about lactose?  Any other things to exclude?  (I know of a good socially responsible local catering project in Manchester too, I can get some estimated costs from them.)

What about if you act as manager/fundraiser for the Manchester Autistic Pride day event? I can pm you the details that I have had from them so far.