Trust celebrates 40 years helping autistic adults

A Birmingham charity is marking 40 years of helping adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults live more independent, fulfilling lives.

The Lisieux Trust, founded in 1986, is bringing back staff, volunteers and the founders who set up the charity in a celebration on Saturday.

Nick Horton, from Sutton Coldfield, lives in supported accommodation and has been assisted by the organisation for 12 years.

He told the BBC how he was a baton bearer at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and competed as a Special Olympics GB badminton athlete while with the trust.

Staff at the trust, which supports 64 residents across Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, said his achievements reflected their ethos - helping people "live the life they want to live".

Horton, who is autistic, told the BBC how the trust helps him.

"They help me do my banking, do my washing, do my bed. Support me with cooking - everything," he explained.

"They even helped me find a voluntary job, which I've been at for 12 or 13 years."

The anniversary is also a milestone for Paul Eeles, whose connection with the charity spans nearly four decades.

Eeles first volunteered at Lisieux House, the trust's original home, between 1987 and 1995, supporting residents and staff in the charity's earliest years.

He returned in 2025 to join the charity's board and later became its chair.

"I am passionate about ensuring the charity continues to thrive, providing safe, supportive homes and opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and autism," Eeles said.

"My journey from volunteer at Lisieux House to chair of trustees reflects a lifelong dedication to helping people flourish."

The trust's celebration of four decades is bringing together everyone who has shaped it, from the founders who set it up, to the residents who call it home today.

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