‘After 21 Years, We Can Now Watch Everton As A Family’

As Everton ran out against AS Roma on a sunny afternoon last August, Julie and Stephen Simpson could only look at one another and smile.

Like 53,000 others, they were excited to see Everton’s new stadium full for the very first time.

And yet, that was something of a sideline. For more than two decades they had watched friends take their children to the match, unsure if their son Joe, who is autistic, would ever be able to join them.

Now, at last, they were watching Everton as a family.

“I have always wanted to bring Joe since he was little and I just never had the opportunity," explains Stephen.

"He wouldn't have been able to go to Goodison with the way it was because it would have been too loud for him.”

Presented with this reality, Julie and Stephen had first approached Everton about creating a sensory area some 11 years ago.

Together they had founded Autism Adventures, an organisation that looks to provide leisure and play opportunities for families living with autism.

While space limitations at Goodison proved insurmountable, Julie and Stephen were invited by the Club to have input into plans that ultimately led to a sensory room and box being part of the Hill Dickinson Stadium blueprint.

“We're absolutely made up with the finished product, it's even better than we imagined,” says Julie, reflecting on her role in helping to curate the space that allowed Joe to experience that pre-season clash with Roma and then his first Premier League game, against West Ham United in September.

“The room is obviously designed for younger children to access if it's too much for them in the stadium. But we also wanted it to be somewhere that older people could go and make it fit for purpose for everyone. We wanted to make it dementia friendly, autism friendly and a space that caters for the whole spectrum of neurodiversity.”

The sound-proofed sensory box, complete with floor to ceiling windows that offer a spectacular view of the pitch, is a comforting environment in which fans can take in the action. An adjoining sensory room, complete with cushions, sensory objects and adaptable light and audio settings, provides a haven should the immense stimuli of a full-capacity football stadium become overwhelming.

A waiting list is now in operation and, together, these facilities are allowing more and more families to experience matchday for the very first time.

“When you're a kid, you want to play for the team,” says Stephen. "When you can't, you want your kids to play for them, or at least go [the match]. It was horrible when my mates would go with their kids and we couldn’t do that.

“What’s been created here gives Joe options. You don’t want to force him into it but you just want him to enjoy it and find his way."

“As Autism Adventures, working with fantastic people from the Club, I think this is our biggest achievement,” adds Julie.

“Nigel Bennett [Stewarding Manager] and Chris Massam [Accessibility Lead] are two people whose efforts won’t be known but who deserve recognition.

“Hearing families now saying, 'I've put our names down, I'm going to be taking the kids to a game', it's amazing.

“That feeling you get coming here when you've never been able to do it, it's something else.”

Find out more about the sensory box and room here or email accessibility@evertonfc.com.

Everton and Everton in the Community are celebrating All Together Now at this weekend’s fixtures.

Created in 2018, All Together Now increases awareness of the work done by Everton and its official charity to champion equity, inclusion and diversity, while also having the goal of tackling discrimination and hate in all its forms. To find out more, click here.