Fw: [S-T-A-A-R] in the ilford recorder

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Subject: [s-T-A-A-R] in the ilford recorder

£7m autism school and centre planBETH CATLEY - 10 April 2008 CAMPAIGN: Ivan Corea and son Charin REDBRIDGE will become home to a £7million autism centre and a specialist school, under plans unveiled by high-profile campaigner Ivan Corea.Mr Corea, who is head of the UK Autism Awareness Campaign, and has a 12-year-old autistic son Charin, revealed he is setting up a new charity to pursue his dream to provide first-class facilities for autistic people.Mr Corea, 50, of Buckhurst Way, Buckhurst Hill, told the Recorder: "For a start, I want to help people in Redbridge, because this is my community."He said: "It will be a massive fundraising effort but I'm confident we will be able to do it because we have a vision and we're hoping people buy into this vision and partner with us."The autism centre will have recreational activities, counselling rooms, information and

advice, a library and more, he said.Once the centre is up and running, the charity will look towards building a specialist autism school, before turning its attention towards helping autistic families struggling below the poverty line.Mr Corea is looking to have the centre established within five to 10 years.A chorus of discontent about the services available for autistic people is growing in Redbridge, with parents and Rochelle Frenkel, of Abbotswood Gardens, Clayhall, and Aldo and Elena De Lucia, of Fremantle Road, Barkingside, concocting plans to build a 20-bed residential centre to provide respite care for autistic families.Mr Corea supports their plans, and said: "If those two things happen in Redbridge, it's going to be a real centre for excellence in the whole of the UK for autism."Ilford North MP Lee has agreed to be the patron of the new

charity.Mr said: "It's a big project and it is very early days, but from little acorns, so to speak. It really is something that's needed and Ivan is doing wonderful work."Mr Corea made his announcement on the first ever World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday, and was interviewed on television, including US news channel CNN.He also called on the government to develop a national autism strategy and a 10-year plan to help autistic families.