Bristol Autism Support is excited to announce the appointment of Louise Mills as our new Operations Manager. Louise has been involved with BAS for a number of years now as a parent and our Policy & Procedures Manager. Louise is well placed to hit the ground running in January and help the charity continue to develop.
The focus of the Operations Manager will be to lead the day-to-day operations of the charity and work closely with our Parent Support and Training Manager to co-lead its strategic development. The co-leaders of the Charity will report regularly to the Board of Trustees and will contribute to the high-level vision and strategy of BAS as well as ensure the successful delivery of its programme.
Our mission is to provide high quality, face to face and virtual support and the latest correct, useful, and crucial information, at the right time, to parents and carers of autistic children in Bristol. We provide a haven and a community for Bristol’s autism families in order to reduce isolation and improve mental and physical well-being.
“Over the last few years I have worked with a number of charities as a volunteer and paid worker alongside a part time role with an ethical and sustainable finance organisation based in Bristol. During my time working at Triodos I realised that my interests lie in working with values based organisations, particularly those who bring about positive social impact and change. Prior to having children I had worked in Customer Service Management and Facilities Management and had originally trained at the Royal Conservatoire Scotland and Trinity College of Music as a flautist and Music Educator.
Three of my immediate family members are autistic, PDA and/or ADHD. To support the needs of my own neurodiverse family I began to develop my knowledge of the services, support, and education relating to autism in the local area; training in the field of autism and SEND when not working or being Mum to my 3 children !
More recently I worked as the Autism Lead for Turtle Key Arts and their collaboration with Bristol Beacon called “Turtle Opera”, working with autistic teenagers from the Bristol area to create and perform a musical theatre piece throughout the 2022 Autumn and Winter term.
Parent Support and Training Manager at Bristol Autism Support Jade Page said –
‘I am so pleased at Louise’s appointment she knows BAS really well and embodies all the core values at the heart of the charity. I am looking forward to working closely with Louise and excited for the future of Bristol Autism Support as we continue to grow and support so many families.’
Operations Manager Louise Mills said –
‘ To be given the opportunity to take on the Operations Manager Role with BAS is incredibly exciting and especially at a time when the high quality parent/carer support we already provide is needed more than ever with the increase in wait times for diagnosis and the recognition that education support in the region must continue to improve. I look forward to Co-Leading Bristol Autism Support with Jade and working with the rest of our dedicated team to grow BAS for the future. ‘
