Haringey officially opens Chad Gordon Autism Campus in Tottenham

Local dignitaries gathered in Tottenham to attend the official opening of Haringey’s new campus for adults with autism.

The Chad Gordon Autism Campus in Waltheof Gardens is ground-breaking in its bespoke approach to providing for autistic adults and for the range of services available. 

The campus is named after Chad Gordon, a local adult with autism who was tragically murdered in May 2020. 

It had a commemorative opening in May this year, at which a memorial plaque was planted in Chad’s memory a year after his death, with his family in attendance.
  
The building designs have been influenced by the sensory needs of people with autism, including adaptable mood lighting to create a calm environment when needed, and a garden that service users can enjoy.
 
The campus houses two new services:

•    The Haringey Opportunities Project – a dedicated positive behavioural support day service offering specialist support for people with severe and complex learning disabilities and autism. The building has capacity for 30 users per day with access to a brand-new training kitchen. 
•    The #ActuallyHaringey Autism Hub – a space co-produced with autistic residents and community groups, offering support and advice to the local autistic community, including skills-based training. There is access to a garden where local residents can showcase their skills in music, cookery, gardening and art.
 
Cllr Lucia das Neves, the Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Well-being, said:

This centre is a fitting tribute to Chad’s memory and will be a valuable community asset for many years to come. It’s important for people with autism to be listened to - and so this campus was constructed in partnership with autistic people, their carers and the lived experience of service users’ families – to deliver a service that will cater directly to the needs of those who use it.

Chad’s mother, Anne-Marie Wilson, said:

The autism campus is a great opportunity for people in the community to come together and support each other. Chad would have loved it here and would probably have been here every day, helping out and getting to know people. He was very community spirited and had the ability to make everyone around him happy. My family and I are so happy he had a part in all of this and I am looking forward to seeing the campus grow.