High Rise in Lisburn honoured for being a centre which is inclusive and accessible for everyone

A Lisburn indoor adventure centre has been presented with the Autism NI Impact Award in recognition of the ways it supports autistic guests and has created an ‘autism accessible environment’.

High Rise, which is owned by local charity and Social Enterprise Employers For Childcare, reopened last year and has since welcomed thousands of excited guests for Clip ‘n’ Climb, soft play and the state of the art sensory rooms.

Receiving the award on behalf of High Rise, Employers For Childcare’s chief executive, Marie Marin, said: “Our mission in developing High Rise was to create a centre which would be inclusive and accessible for everyone - somewhere that families can go to enjoy leisure time together, whatever their needs. We know our sensory rooms are an enormous benefit to families, with some travelling long distances. Our autism tailored Clip ‘n’ Climb and soft play sessions which take place one Sunday morning a month are also popular with guests who might find the centre too busy and noisy at other times.

“We are so proud to receive this important award in recognition of that. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team for all the hard work, and, importantly, to recognise the support of our wonderful guests. The feedback since we reopened has been phenomenal and we would like to thank each and every guest who has visited – as a Social Enterprise every single visit helps us to continue the work of our charity, supporting parents locally and across the UK. Finally, I would also like to thank Autism NI who have been a great resource and support to High Rise, and have delivered excellent training to our staff.”

Christine Kearney, director of development at Autism NI, added: “This award demonstrates their commitment to offering a welcoming environment to the 35,000 autistic individuals in NI, and their families, and to ensuring that no one is excluded.

"We have heard just what a difference the centre has already made to families, enabling them to enjoy quality time together, and we are sure that many more will enjoy a fantastic day out in this amazing centre in the years to come.”

High Rise is open for Clip ‘n Climb, soft play and sensory room visits from Thursday to Sunday with autism tailored sessions one Sunday morning each month – guests are advised to pre-book their visits to avoid disappointment.