Alexander Anderson

Prior to being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age 9, Alex wasn’t receiving the support he needed at school. He moved to Duffryn High School in Newport at age 11, which has a specialist Autism Spectrum Disorder base, and began to thrive. While at school he helped pupils settle in, became an ambassador for the base; and achieved some of the highest GCSE grades of his year.

Alex has always had empathy for others, and began raising money at a young age, donating money from his small hanging basket business to a range of Welsh charities, and later helped raise thousands of pounds for more charities doing fun runs and abseiling from the Newport Transporter Bridge. He volunteers with elderly people in Caerleon, visiting and befriending them, and entertaining them with piano playing.

He has achieved the Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations 1000 hours of volunteering Award.

As an RAF Air Cadet, he’s completed Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards, and the DofE 2016 Diamond Challenge; achieved BTECs in Teamwork, and in Music; and the ILM level 3 in Leadership and Management. Alex has helped others gain qualifications too, and ensures the younger cadets have a voice. He won the Duke of Westminster Award in 2018 for Best Cadet from the Cadet Vocational Qualifications Organisation, and is now one of their ambassadors.

Alex was made a Diana Award Change Maker in 2017 and is the organisation’s Welsh ambassador. He is a speaker on autism awareness, and a champion for others with the condition.