A sponsored silence with a difference: Sophia's story

For most parents, it’s rare to get a moment of silence during the school holidays. We spoke to Sophia, 7, who recently completed her Brownies Charity Badge and raised an incredible £784 for BeyondAutism. All by taking on a challenge that would seem impossible for many 7-year-olds – a 6-hour sponsored silence!

Sophia’s little brother Toby, has been attending BeyondAutism Early Years since September 2021. Toby cannot communicate verbally, so the team have been supporting him to learn Makaton sign language to express himself.

“I decided to do a sponsored silence to show empathy to my brother and other kids who cannot yet speak. I wanted to put myself in Toby’s shoes as he has trouble speaking and help him and all the other children like him”.

During her sponsored silence Sophia only used Makaton signing to communicate.

To earn her badge, Sophia also had various tasks to complete to promote and support her chosen charity. She made a video which she shared on various WhatsApp groups and social media. Sophia also distributed leaflets to a local playgroup and pre-school. 

Another idea of Sophia’s was to host an Encanto themed movie night for 8 of her school friends. This raised further funds which were used to purchase art supplies for children attending Early Years.

The family have noticed Toby has made real progress since he started attending Early Years. He has begun learning how to express himself through Makaton. Sophia says that “thanks to their help he is now participating in group activities like circle time, story time and messy play.”

Sophia’s hard work was rewarded as she received her well-earned Charity Badge. It’s no surprise, being such a fundraising super-star! Sophia has taken the time to better understand her brother and his communication needs whilst raising awareness amongst her friends and family.

Feeling inspired?

Anyone, no matter their age, can get involved in fundraising! As Sophia has shown, there’s lots of creative ways to raise money and vital awareness to support children and young adults with autism. You too can make a difference, find out how by visiting our support us section.

Although society still has a long way to go towards acceptance, gestures like this from Sophia can help us get there. If you would like to support Sophia’s fundraising efforts, click here to visit her JustGiving page.

A sponsored silence with a difference: Sophia’s story

“I decided to do a sponsored silence to show empathy to my brother and other kids who cannot yet speak. I wanted to put myself in Toby’s shoes as he has trouble speaking and help him and all the other children like him”.

Feeling inspired?

Although society still has a long way to go towards acceptance, gestures like this from Sophia can help us get there. If you would like to support Sophia’s fundraising efforts, click here to visit her JustGiving page.