Brothers autism social enterprise CIC

Our Spectrum Creations Belfast group (14) had another fun art-based social evening together ... everyone chating and laughing together all night - what a wonderful group 💛💚🩵💜🧡❤️

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland

Our Spectrum Creations Downpatrick group (6) had fun-creative evening designing our own MANGA inspired characters - absolutely wonderful animations 💛💚🩵💜🩷🧡

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour Social Enterprise Northern Ireland

Fantastic news! We are delighted to share that BASE has been selected as a Finalist in the Mental Health & Wellbeing Ireland Awards 2026 in the Impact in the Community category. With over 100 nominations received from across Ireland, we are incredibly proud to see the work of our members, volunteers and wider community recognised in this way. Thank you to everyone who continues to support our journey.

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland

Our Spectrum Creations Monday LD group (4) had fun-packed evening playing video games and board games - plenty if chatting and laughing all night long 🙂

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland

🧸✨ Spectrum Creations Belfast ✨🧸

Our Belfast group recently enjoyed a fantastic teddy bear making session, combining creativity, learning and plenty of fun along the way!

As members carefully stitched and assembled their bears, we explored the importance of fine motor skills, attention to detail, concentration and patience, with everyone working at their own pace and supporting one another throughout the evening.

The best part of the activity? Every bear was completely unique, reflecting the creativity and personality of its creator. It was wonderful to see 12 members enjoying the activity, sharing conversation, building friendships and bringing their own special creations to life.

A special welcome to our newest volunteer, Jessica, who has already brought great energy, enthusiasm and support to the group. We're delighted to have her as part of the BASE team and look forward to the journey ahead together. 💙✨

Another great evening of creativity, confidence-building and community at BASE! 💙

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland

🧸✨ Spectrum Creations Downpatrick ✨🧸

Our Downpatrick group had a fantastic evening getting creative and stitching together their very own teddy bears! 🪡🐻

While everyone else was busy making cuddly companions, David decided to go slightly off-script and created a leather chew toy for his new dog, Milo! 🐶

Most importantly, it was another wonderful evening of creativity, conversation, laughter and friendship, with seven members coming together to enjoy each other's company and develop new skills along the way.

We can't wait to see what everyone creates next! 💙

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour

💛💚🩵🎳 Spectrum Creations Belfast Social Group 🎳💜🩷🧡

A fantastic Monday evening spent at King Pins Belfast, with five of our members enjoying bowling, friendship and plenty of laughs along the way!

It was also wonderful to welcome a new member to the group and see new connections and friendships beginning to develop so naturally. These social evenings are about much more than the activity itself. They create opportunities for belonging, confidence-building and meaningful friendships to grow.

A special thank you to our volunteer Kerry-Anne, whose support, encouragement and dedication helped make the evening such a success. We are incredibly grateful to have such a valued member of the BASE team supporting our participants.

We are already looking forward to the next one! 💙

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland Belfast Harbour The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland

💙 Award-Winning Spectrum Creations - Places Available! 🎨✨

Brothers Autism Social Enterprise CIC (BASE), winner of Best in Northern Ireland at Supporting Autistic Individuals with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities 2026, currently has a small number of places available within our award-winning Spectrum Creations programmes.

📍Downpatrick: 1 place available - Commencing 9th Sept
📍Belfast: 5 places available - Commencing 10th Sept

Spectrum Creations is a 10-week social arts and friendship-based programme for autistic older teenagers and young adults (up to age 35). Our mixed-needs groups provide a welcoming, autism-informed environment where members can develop friendships, build confidence, explore creativity and become part of a supportive community.

✅ 10-week structured programme
✅ Social arts and creative activities
✅ Friendship and peer support
✅ Autism-informed environment
✅ Access to organised monthly social outings and activities

💷 Registration: £125

Interested? Complete our short referral form using the link below:

🔗 https://www.brothersautism.co.uk/spectrum-creations

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland

💛💚🩵💜🩷🧡 A Special Day for Spectrum Creations! 💛💚🩵💜🩷🧡

Recently, members from our Belfast and Downpatrick Spectrum Creations programmes came together for the very first time, bringing together autistic and neurodivergent young people and adults from both communities for a fantastic day at The Jungle NI.

Members took part in a fun-filled Crystal Maze Challenge, working together in teams to tackle a variety of exciting activities before enjoying a lovely lunch together. The day provided a wonderful opportunity for participants to get to know one another, form new friendships and strengthen connections across the wider BASE community.

David McLaughlin, Founder of BASE, said:

"Bringing our Belfast and Downpatrick groups together for the first time was a very proud moment for me personally. Watching members connect, encourage each other and share new experiences reminded me exactly why BASE was created. I hope this is only the beginning of many more opportunities for our members to come together, build lasting friendships and create memories together."

A special thank you to Maeve from the Our Generation Project and the fantastic staff at The Jungle NI for helping organise such a wonderful, fun-packed day.

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland OUR Generation Co-operation Ireland

🏆 Summer Art Competition Winner! 🚂🎨

Congratulations to Matthew, whose fantastic digital artwork has been chosen as the winner of our Spectrum Creations Summer Art Competition 2026!

Matthew's winning piece beautifully reflects a passion for trains and railways, a lifelong interest that recently inspired an amazing trip to Scotland to see some magnificent locomotives and railway operations up close.

A brilliant piece of artwork and a very well-deserved winner.

Well done, Matthew! 👏🚂✨

Brothers autism social enterprise CIC Social Enterprise Northern Ireland