Happy New Year!

ACT NOW would like to wish all our supporters a very Happy New Year!

We want to thank all of our 12,000+ supporters for continuing to back our campaign, for contributing by writing to members of parliament and local authorities and for sharing our content on Facebook. Without your support we wouldn't be where we are now. 

We really value all our supporters who regularly contribute by posting onto our regional Facebook groups and to our community page with their own stories but also are often there to support others posting on our pages for whom life is difficult. 

2011 was a tough year for people in the autism community across the UK. There has been widespread worry and fear about ATOS, the change from Incapacity Benefit to ESA and as we move into 2012 more worry about the impact of the changeover to Universal Credit and PIP. This all comes at a time when our money doesn't stretch as far given the recession and many are worried about keeping their jobs.

In March 2011 we launched a campaign video, ACT NOW are Marching On. We couldn't have released this video without the contribution of many of you, once again we thank you for letting us use the photographs you sent us. As we approach the New Year, we want to share this video with you again as ACT NOW (Autism Campaigners Together) is evolving and so we want you to know we are STILL Marching On! 

2012 marks a new beginning for ACT NOW - we will launch our new name (Act Now For Autism), website, logo and a forum will follow. This change will reflect our evolving role on Facebook but also retains part of our current name, which is crucial to continuing our campaign work. 

We remain committed to campaigning for trained autism advocates, better autism awareness for the PIP assessment criteria and assessors, better autism training for professionals associated with ATOS or the DWP and we continue to campaign hard for assessments to have descriptors fitting the often complex and subtle aspects of life and work with autism.

We wish you all a happy and peaceful new year. 

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. (Margaret Mead)

Carole, Teresa, Anna & Mavourneen. (Core Group)