In support of Autism Acceptance Week, Hadyn, one of our Community Engagement Assistants, came forward to share his experiences whilst working at Blackpool FC Community Trust. Here’s what he said:
“Dealing with autism in any workplace is very challenging, people who suffer from it generally have it harder than most and I’m no exception. As someone who has autism, my issues lie mostly in social situations, and this was my biggest fear when joining Blackpool FC Community Trust. I didn’t feel like I would be able to cope in a busy office environment but the second I started my KickStart role I was introduced to such a welcoming team. I was put on sessions that were suited to my liking which helped me to improve my confidence and communication skills. Another issue I found myself having was when I was doing additional hours, I couldn’t focus for the full amount of time, and it was affecting me in a big way. So, I spoke with my line manager Dave Maclean, and he instantly took action to reduce my hours to a manageable amount, I don’t believe you would find that level of understanding anywhere else.”
Whilst working as the Community Trust Haydn has been working on and completed several qualifications, including; The FA Introduction to Football, The FA Safeguarding qualification, The FA First Aid qualification and several other CPD workshops and qualifications.
