About Us
Lotus Collaborations is dedicated to ensuring that autistic survivors of sexual violence and related abuse are believed and supported throughout their recovery journey.
Our objectives are achieved through:
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Collaborating with survivors to voice, explore, and share ideas on recovery pathways.
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Initiating and responding to training opportunities that address the intersection of autism, sexual violence, and related abuse.
Engaging with diverse societal groups to establish collaborative projects and raise awareness.
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Enhance recovery pathways for autistic survivors by providing training to the general public.
Why we do it
Statistics show a high prevalence of sexual violence among autistic individuals, yet many autistic survivors face barriers accessing services due to past negative experiences and fears of judgement, often related to their intersectional identities.
Lotus Collaborations focuses on training, consultancies, and collaborations to exchange knowledge and address attitudes that hinder recovery. Our goal is to support survivors’ wellbeing and help them thrive.
Provision and Development of Resources
Lotus Collaborations will partner with others to create a wide range of resources tailored to the needs of individuals and services. By addressing diverse communication needs, we aim to reach a broad and inclusive audience.
We prioritise supporting individuals and services in engaging with collaborations and events that recognise the diversity of survivor experiences. This fosters positive conversations and highlights how survivors have leveraged their experiences to raise societal awareness of sexual violence and relate abuse.
Meet The Team
Dr Susy Ridout
Dr Susy Ridout is the Founding Director and Team Lead of Lotus Collaborations, which unashamedly forefronts the voices and needs of autistic survivors of sexual violence and related abuse. Susy is a competent and passionate trainer in neurodivergence, sexual violence and abuse with health and specialist services, Sexual Assault Referral Centres, and the police, in addition to numerous community groups. Her vision for Lotus is to raise awareness of the unique needs of autistic survivors in response to violence and to challenge oppressive practices and frameworks of power.
Sara-Jayne Hill
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Sara, specializes in fundraising and strategy. She brings social enterprise and charity trustee experience from over 15 years of work in Sheffield. Her range of skills includes finance and administration, governance, policy, project management and fundraising and is excited about contributing them to Lotus' work. She is passionate about Lotus' mission and hopes to work towards challenging violence and oppression by enacting systemic change which also improves the support available for survivors.
Manali Deshmuk​
Manali is the Company secretary offering Lotus Collaborations over 4 years of experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance and providing strategic support to the Board of Directors in governance matters. Beyond the technical side of compliance, she is passionate about building trust and helping the leadership teams make well informed, ethical decisions believing that governance is not just a requirement but an opportunity to strengthen long-term sustainability and growth.
Noah Kay
​Noah is someone with lived experience and is a passionate advocate for the rights of those with marginalised identities, with a particular interest in LGBTQ+ and disability rights as this aligns with their own personal experiences.
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They joined Lotus to amplify the voice of young queer autistic survivors, and help create safer, more inclusive spaces. Having worked in various education and community settings, Noah has developed skills which they are committed to using to raise awareness, drive change, and help others find hope and healing.
Ambassadors
Wanxiang Yin
Wanxiang Yin is our Ambassadors Administrator at Lotus Collaborations UK, bringing strong organisational and administrative skills from her previous experience as a Director Assistant in China. Passionate about supporting autistic individuals, she assists with daily operations and provides practical support to help ensure smooth service delivery. Wanxiang believes that behind every impactful team is a solid structure and a compassionate approach to care.
Fundraising Team
Ruth
Ruth is an Autistic victim-survivor and has joined Lotus to support the organisation’s work in breaking down the barriers that Autistic people face on their journeys of reporting and healing from sexual violence. Ruth brings experience from her professional roles in commissioning, funding and developing services for Autistic people.