Triple A Family Fun Day raises more than £3,000 for autism awareness

The annual Triple A Family Fun Day raised more than £3,000 while promoting autism awareness and inclusion in Gibraltar.

The event, which took place at Casemates Square on May 31, brought together families, supporters and members of the community for a programme of entertainment, fundraising activities and demonstrations.

Triple A, which stands for Awesome Autism Awareness, was established in 2014 and has since become an annual fixture on Gibraltar’s community calendar. The event is organised by Lesley Chadwick of Little Smiles and Ernest Slade of the Musicians Association of Gibraltar.

Visitors took part in games, activities and crafts at stalls across the square, while demonstrations by the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service proved popular with families. Children were also able to take photographs with superhero characters including Superman and Wonder Woman.

The entertainment programme began at noon with a performance by the 1st/4th Scout Group, followed by Jukebox Fever, led by local singer Jes Scruton White.

Minister for Health, Gemma Arias-Vasquez addressed attendees during the afternoon, highlighting the importance of autism awareness and the progress made in autism support services in Gibraltar in recent years.

Youth band Sentinel 5 also performed, followed by Della Slade and her band. Ms Slade, a long-standing supporter of Triple A, performed a selection of original country-pop material and covers.

She later joined Ace of Slades for a set of classic rock songs. Her sister, Farrah Slade, who had earlier performed with Sentinel 5, also joined the group on rhythm guitar, bringing the number of Slade family members performing together on stage to five. Special recognition was also given to young drummer Charles Camilleri, who recently joined the band and long-time friend Nick Capurro on keyboards who would also perform with Bob and the Boys.

The programme continued with performances by Bob and the Boys who entertained the crowd with a selection of classic hits, including songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Albert Hammond.

And entertainer Ami Lloyd, visiting from the Costa del Sol, followed with an engaging set of popular covers that encouraged audience participation and sing-alongs from both attendees and Triple A volunteers.

The event concluded with local band The Hypnics, whose surf-rock-inspired original music brought the day to a close.

During a break in The Hypnics’ set, Harvey Chadwick spoke about his experiences growing up in Gibraltar as a young person on the autism spectrum, underlining the event’s focus on awareness and inclusion.

The organisers thanked performers, volunteers, sponsors, supporters and attendees for their contributions to the event.