Thanks to 7 year old ice-hockey player and enthusiast  Thomas Gallienne and his mum Sarah,  Ategi is very excited to offer a Cardiff Devils signed ice-hockey stick for our first charity auction. This is no ordinary  hockey stick, it previously belonged to Devils & GB netminder Ben Bowns, it  has kindly been donated by the Cardiff Devils to help Thomas and his mum fundraise for Ategi.. It is also extra special because it has been signed by  at least 12 members of the 2022/23 Cardiff Devils team, including, Joshua Batch, Sam Duggan, Trevor Cox, Josh Waller, Ben Davies, Ben Bowns – Netminder, Jake Coughler, Samuel Jardine, Joey Martin, Riley Brandt, Brodie Reid and Taran Kozun.

Ategi has been supporting adults with complex needs for nearly 30 years, helping them to identify and achieve their goals and ambitions and empowering them to live their lives, their way.  All proceeds from this auction will go towards delivering the vital care and support that Ategi provides to adults with learning needs, physical disability, addictions and mental ill health. People like Summa:

Summa is a young woman with autism who grew up in foster care. When she turned 18 she was not ready to live independently, so she was placed with Ategi Shared Lives carer, Lorna. When Summa first moved in with Lorna she was very isolated, always keeping to her room doing Manga drawings. After 2 years of living with Lorna her social skills improved dramatically, she learnt to cook and do her laundry. More than this, Lorna saw Summa’s passion for Manga animation and encouraged her to move from paper to digital, enter competitions and post her work online. Thanks to Lorna’s support, after 2 years of living in Shared Lives, Summa is now studying animation at university and living independently.

Thomas says that when he grows up he would love to be a pro ice hockey player and be in a position to play for the Devils. His mum Sarah is also a supporter of the Cardiff Devils and has been working with Ategi for 2 years. Sarah says ‘I have seen how Ategi makes a big difference in people’s lives, and I wanted to not only raise funds, but also to help raise the profile of the fantastic work that Ategi does and the amazing people we support’.