We are delighted to announce the successful recipients of the NAT Founders Award 2026, celebrating inspiring projects led by Autistic individuals across the UK.
The National Autistic Taskforce established this award in memory of Dr Dinah Murray, whose passion for autonomy, advocacy and community continues to guide our work. Dinah believed deeply in supporting autistic people to thrive, take action and achieve their goals, and this year’s awardees truly embody that spirit.
Watch Fergus Murray talk about their mother’s legacy at Online Autscape.
Following a strong and diverse range of applications, we are proud to support projects that not only empower individuals but also create meaningful impact within the wider autistic community. Funded initiatives include community-building efforts, personal development goals, educational pursuits and innovative ideas designed to remove barriers and open new opportunities.
We were especially encouraged by the creativity, determination and commitment shown by all applicants. While we regret that we were unable to fund every project, we extend our sincere thanks to everyone who applied and shared their vision with us.
Successful applicants will now begin their funded activities, and we look forward to seeing and sharing the positive outcomes and stories that emerge in the months ahead.
Today, on Dinah’s birthday, we celebrate her legacy by supporting autistic people to “do”, to grow and to succeed.
Congratulations to all our 2026 Founders Award recipients!
Funded projects:
Gideon Henner (Broxburn)
£640 to develop a website and online community for neurodivergent linguists and conlangers.
George (Edinburgh)
£850 for a micro-study: collate data and produce a resource on peer support benefits among neurodivergent and other disabled postgraduate students: cost of application to Independent Research Ethics Committee.
Willow May (Dorset)
£209 for making a wildlife garden.
Helen Cook (Cambridge)
£163 to sustain and grow a disability support group: web hosting, zoom, and advertising costs.
Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar (West Yorkshire)
£180 for Glad We Talked® Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Initiative (Room rental & refreshments).