A CAFE which has provided a lifeline to parents of autistic children since 2018 could close.

Cafe Eden, based at Keighley College, was founded by Fiona Thompson after her son was diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition when he was four years old.

She launched the facility – with backing from the college, Airedale and Wharfedale Autism Resource (AWARE) and Keighley Big Local – in response to what she felt was a lack of available support locally.

Since then, hundreds of people have used the cafe.

But numbers began to dwindle during the pandemic, and there are fears that if the decline isn't reversed, the provision will fold.

Fiona says: "The cafe provides a safe space and meeting point for local parents whose children have autism, and who have maybe struggled getting the help they need from the mainstream schools system.

"We know it’s a real lifeline because the people who come along tell us that; having a peer group where you can share that lived experience and feel heard is so valuable, and it's something no professional can ever give you.

"At its peak we had 20-odd people in the room but that dropped away during the pandemic, when lots of kids were taken out of mainstream education or out of school altogether, and the numbers haven’t recovered. We now often only have two or three parents at our meetings, which isn’t sustainable – so we are urging people to please use us, or lose us."

The cafe meets on the second Monday of each month, from 10am to 11.30am.

It has welcomed guests, including representatives of organisations such as Carers' Resource and Equality Together, and – with help from AWARE – can signpost parents to a range of support services.

Keighley College principal, Kevin O’Hare, says: "We have been proud to be associated with the cafe and able to support it; it’s a brilliant project which has provided solace and assistance to so many people.

"There’s nowhere else like this in Keighley, so it would be such a shame to lose it."

Fiona adds: "I know it’s really difficult for parents of children with autism to arrange care cover so they can get away for just an hour or two to groups like this, but it’s so important and there are many benefits to coming along."

For more details, call at the next cafe session or visit facebook.com/cafeedenkeighley