AUTISM Together's chief executive has said the charity is in 'good financial health' after a former finance assistant was jailed for stealing thousands of pounds.

Robin Bush made the assurance in response to comments made by a judge at the sentencing of Dale Mills, who defrauded the Wirral organisation out of almost £120,000 over four years. He was jailed yesterday for 32 months.

Judge Goldstone said that while the charity, which helps people from Wirral, Cheshire and North Wales, had a large financial turnover its position was "far from rosy" and a £200,000 overdraft.

Setting the record straight, Robin Bush told the Globe today: "What you have to bear in mind is that when these crimes came to light it was over two years ago.

"At that time, the organisation was suffering, as social care organisations do, from a number of cutbacks within local government funding.

"Over the last two years we have worked exceptionally hard to remedy that situation and have placed ourselves in a really good position moving forward. So, financially, we are in good shape.

"We made a surplus last year, which will be re-invested into the organisation, and are on target to make another surplus this year to make another surplus which, once again, will be re-invested into the organisation.

"So, whilst Dale's crimes did disadvantage the organisation for a short period of time, we are in good financial health and looking towards the future.

"It's business as usual and then some. We've got some big plans moving forward, some great fundraisers ahead for the coming year.

"We've made some real in-roads to be as efficient an organisation as possible, so any money invested in the organisation is spent directly on care and support for people on the autism spectrum.

"It's an exciting year ahead."

Wirral Globe:

Robin Bush, chief executive of Autism Together, outside the organisation's premises in Bromborough today. Picture: Craig Manning

Reflecting on Mills sentence, Mr Bush said: "We’re satisfied that justice has been done.

"The sentence handed down by the court accurately reflects the mitigation that was put forward and the magnitude of the crime that was presented to us.

"There is a wider issue here, of course. We are a people organisation and Dale had worked for us for a number of years.

"What makes me sad is that he didn't feel able to come and talk to us about the problems he was having that caused him to carry out his crimes."

The charity is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary with its Future 50 appeal, which aims to raise £2.5m for a building project to rebuild the original residential home, Raby Hall in Wirral, replacing it with a world-leading autism-specific building suitable for up to 12 patients.

The campaign has, so far, raised around £600,000.

The plan is to build a world-leading centre where biometric technology will be used to 'see inside' people with autism who may not be able to speak and explain their anxiety or distress to carers.

The project will be rolled out in stages over a five-year period and there are already plans for future applications for biometric technology within the building.

The Future 50 campaign was launched by Christine McGuinness, wife of TV personality Paddy McGuinness, and mother of two young children, last year.

Highlighting forthcoming fundraising events, Robin Bush said: "We've decided to change our approach slightly to what we call our 'blue ribbon' red carpet event for the society.

"We had a ball last year, which was incredibly successful and we've got a classical concert at Liverpool Philharmonic on June 16.

"A big concert with lots of glitz and glamour. I'm really looking forward to it.

"We are also launching phase two of our Future 50 campaign tomorrow with a cinema advert which highlights the challenges faced by those supporting people with very complex behaviours and autism.

"It's a slightly different take on the traditional campaigns you'll see. Called Austin's Story. it's a very hard-hitting, very honest account of a lady whose son is here with us.

"It looks at how he was diagnosed and his journey, which wasn't a good one until he came to us, but it looks at how we helped him.

"It’'s an exciting campaign for us; a change of direction, but it will hopefully raise awareness of some of the more difficult issues families face."

Originally called Wirral Society for Autistic Children, the charity was set up in 1968 and bought its Raby Hall headquarters ten years later.

The building was so popular that demand outgrew the Raby site and a second building was built at the site. 

As well as residential housing at the Raby site, it also has accommodation in Birkenhead, Heswall and Liscard.

The charity also supports people in their own homes.

It provides a range of activities from painting and pottery through to woodworking, canoeing, climbing, narrowboating and trampolining.

The charity supports 450 adults across Wirral and demand for its services is growing.

Mr Bush said: "We are seeing an increase in numbers of people using our services.

"There are difficulties in applying for local authority funding, so we have to fight very hard for every penny that we get from the local authority to enable us to help and support those people.

"We are getting more referrals for more complex people.

"It's a fairly extensive waiting list, but we are doing all we can to reduce it."

For more information on the Future 50 appeal visit www.autismtogether.co.uk/future50.