Double Autism Hero Awards win for VoiceAbility
The phenomenal achievements of both Elspeth Jones and Lucy Lovett were celebrated at the 2025 Autism Hero Awards last month.
The Autism Hero Awards enhance awareness and acceptance — as well as celebrating accomplishments in the world of autism, acknowledging the outstanding contributions of those dedicated to impacting lives.
Elspeth Jones, who won the ‘Lifetime Award’ posthumously, worked as a Speak Out leader in Cambridgeshire for 9 years, using her lived experience of Asperger’s syndrome to talk with autistic people, listen to their experiences, and share issues with professionals who could help change things for the better.
Lucy Lovett won ‘Young Person of the Year’ for her work with VoiceAbility as an Expert by Experience (EBE) for Clinical Education Treatment Review C(E)TRs. As an EBE, Lucy brought another viewpoint to C(E)TRs from her own lived experience: a young autistic person detained in a mental health facility.
Lucy has also been an important part of our Use Your Power campaign. In the campaign video, Lucy shares her lived experience in the hope the UK government will drastically reduce the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people being detained in England’s mental health hospitals.
Lucy said: “It was such an honour to be at the awards ceremony, to catch up with VoiceAbility colleagues and make new connections. I’ve come a long way, and it’s amazing to have that recognised through the Young Person of the Year award.
The Autism Hero Awards are a wonderful way of recognising all the fantastic work that autistic people are doing across the country to change things for the better — however, there’s a lot of work still to be done.
Elspeth’s mum Maggie, her father, Mathew, and her brother and fellow Speak Out leader, Bill, were invited to the awards ceremony on her behalf.
Maggie said: “It was a real honour to receive the award for Elspeth posthumously. We were so touched. There were many exceptional people at the awards ceremony — it was a real honour to be there.
Elspeth wanted to make a difference, and since her death, we are being reminded again and again that she really did make a difference and continues to do so. Her legacy carries on.
View highlights from the awards ceremony — and watch the emotional moments Lucy and Elspeth’s family accepted their awards.
Julia Rutherford, VoiceAbility Connections Manager, also attended the event alongside Lucy and Elspeth’s family and said: “It was a great and very emotional evening — and it was such an honour to be there for Elspeth and Lucy.
“Lucy is just amazing. We were in a team meeting, discussing the EBE role and the challenges that EBEs can face, when Lucy said, ‘A C(E)TR saved my life’. I was completely moved — and still am when I recall it.
“It emphasises so well the real importance of this role and the life-changing impact this work can have on the client.”
Julia continued, “Although Elspeth is no longer with us, her amazing work and the messages she needed people to hear — about listening to and working in the right way with autistic people — continue.
“And Elspeth had those great opportunities to be heard because over 10 years ago, Cambridge County Council commissioned a Speak Out service with paid Speak Out Leaders with relevant lived experiences. And, of course, VoiceAbility then supported Elspeth in sharing her thoughts.”
