10 Years of Believing

A person in a blue jacket and helmet is mid-air on a ropes course, reaching toward a red ball suspended from overhead wires with trees in the background.

How Edge grew with purpose

Belief doesn’t arrive fully formed.

At Edge, it has been built over time — shaped by experience, reflection and a determination to provide support that genuinely works for young adults.

When Edge began in 2016, it started small. What followed was not rapid expansion for the sake of it, but steady learning: understanding what young adults need, what helps confidence grow, and how the right environment can unlock potential.

Interior of a meeting room with tables, chairs, a banner with the Edge Autism logo, and a whiteboard with diagrams.

From the outset, Edge was rooted in a belief that support should be personal, practical and grounded in the real world.

Outdoor learning, movement, routine and structure weren’t added as extras — they became central to how confidence, independence and skills could be developed in meaningful ways.

People lying on blue surfboards on a sandy beach in front of instructors, with others standing and talking near the water, ocean waves in the background, and a partly cloudy sky.
Person in a harness and helmet flying through the air at an outdoor ropes course.

As experience grew, so did clarity.

What started as individual support evolved into something more purposeful: structured programmes, clearer pathways, and a stronger focus on preparation for adulthood.

Two people walking on a sandy beach near the water, with a large rocky cliff or island in the background and moss-covered rocks in the foreground.
A snowboarder lying on their back after falling at an indoor ski centre

Each step forward was informed by what worked — and just as importantly, what didn’t.

Over time, this belief has shaped everything Edge offers today.

People preparing and serving food in a kitchen classroom
Two people working outdoors, one cutting wood with a hand saw and the other holding a piece of wood, both wearing safety glasses and high-visibility vests.

Learning that happens through doing.

Progress measured in confidence and capability, not speed

Support that adapts to the individual, not the other way around.

Opportunities that build towards real independence.

Group of people in life jackets on the beach preparing for a paddleboarding lesson, with a small island in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.

The introduction of supported day programmes marked a significant shift — responding to clear gaps in post-school provision and the need for vocational, holistic pathways that recognise the realities young adults face as they move into adulthood.

Ten years on, belief at Edge is no longer just an idea

It’s embedded in our programmes, our environments, and our expectations — and it continues to guide how we grow.

This instalment reflects the foundation everything else is built on.
The next chapters show how that belief has transformed into programmes, spaces and opportunities — and how it’s shaping the decade ahead.

Five people standing on a wooden bridge, waving and smiling, with a green hillside and clear blue sky in the background.
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