Bridging the Gap (Interior Major Project) | Page 13

WHY? With only 4 facilities that support people with autism in the Portsmouth and Southampton region, another facility designed for these individuals in Southsea would be a major benefit. Portsmouth’s statistics on people with ASD are as follows: 2397 people in Portsmouth are living with ASD with now only 2 facilities available. PASN charity closed down in March 2019 due to lack of funding and support. Figure 3. Portsmouth and Gosport Region. Enable Ability have no community based site to permanently support users of the charity. Portsmouth city council pledge to create more facilities for autistic people by 2021. WHERE? Portsmouth is a densly populated, diverse city located in the south of England, home to over roughly 238,137 residents. It is a port city and naval base on England’s south coast, mostly spread across Portsea Island. It’s known for its maritime heritage and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. With 5100 people for every square kilometre, it is officially the UK’s most densly populated city. Home to a wide range of historic content, Portsmouth is a key city to adapt our current historic buildings into spaces to benefit the community. The autistic community who may travel to visit the proposed community centre will have the opportunity to visit Portsmouths many attractions and sites. SITE SELECTION, Site for proposed ASD Community centre. Figure 4. PORTSMOUTH. National Autistic Society community centres in the UK. Page | 12