BBC award for Fife woman who launched Autism Rocks and now helps over 3500 families
A Fife woman who created a group which now supports over 3500 families has been recognised for her work.
Liza Quin founded Autism Rocks, which is based in Buckhaven, and this week she was the winner of the volunteer award at the Make a Difference Awards, run by the BBC. She was among 300 winners, selected from thousands of nominations across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland which recognised exceptional acts of kindness, resilience, and community spirit demonstrated by individuals making a meaningful difference in their local areas.
Liza launched the charity 11 years ago and has seen it grow from small meetings of parents in a park to an organisation that supports many families from its base at Buckhaven Parish Church.
Drawing upon her experiences as a parent of an autistic child, she created the organisation to provide a safe, inclusive space for connection, learning, and joy. It runs family days, drop-in sessions, a teen and adult group, a youth club and brings families together for pool parties. Therapy ponies and al pacas have even made special visits.
Liza said “It feels overwhelming. I never, ever think about me. I'm always focused on the families and when you see how that affects them - that's what does it for me.
“It's just very humbling for me when people come up to me and say, you know, our kids never go anywhere, never do anything, and then you see them walk through the door, the parents are terrified, but as soon as the kids come in and the shoes are kicked off and they go running, and The award caps a fine month for the charity which also scooped £17,640 from the Asda Foundation, set up by the supermarket.
The money will enable Autism Rocks, which receives no funding, to expand into the main hall. It is an ambitious move, but one which will allow it to help many more families who are often isolated after a diagnosis of autism.
The Asda funding will allow it to secure the premises with fences all round to keep everyone safe, refurbish and decorate the hall, and create sensory and calming rooms as well as adding more equipment.