Tom’s campaign blog week 1: the end is the start

“This is not the end. This is the start.”

I had to remind myself of this on Tuesday. So much energy, anxiety and hype comes with a campaign launch that from the inside, sometimes it feels more like we’ve already built to the climax – the grand finale. But of course it is only the beginning.

And what a beginning it has been. So many exciting and impactful things have happened already, I need far more than a mere blog-post to fill you in. For now, I’ll try to pick three highlights.

1. Cupcakes in parliament

Holding events in parliament can be a nerve-wracking experience. Will any MPs show up? Will they be convinced by our message? Will they get behind us? But this time, nerves were minimal. We just had a feeling we’d got this one right. And we were proved right, with a whopping 60 MPs showing up to find out what was going on in their area, speak to our ambassadors, eat our delicious cupcakes (thank you Lola’s!) and commit to taking important actions to help people with autism in their constituency. Not a bad start at all.

2. Cumbria takes the lead!

The success of this campaign is so dependent on our campaigners spreading the word locally. We’ve gathered the support of local charities as partners in the campaign (more on these in a future blog) who are already helping get the word out there. But special mention this week needs to go to the NAS Furness Branch, who at this moment in time are just a few shy of getting Cumbria up to 100 sign-ups! If all our branches and local partners manage the same, we’re in for some campaign.

3. Our infographic debut

It’s been a great week for social media with tweets from celebrities Stephen Fry and Francis Boulle, hundreds of people watching our campaign videos and loads of you commenting on the Facebook wall on the website.

But perhaps best of all has been the campaign infographic – which we love – and which has already been shared by over 750 people. This social sharing is so important in spreading the word, so if you haven’t already please follow this link and share it with your friends and followers.

Thanks so much to everyone who has already done anything to support the campaign. It’s a long road ahead, but the momentum is already building thanks to you.

Keep on pushing!

Tom
Head of Campaigns