Merlins Magic Wand changing criteria.

[MincePieFlavouredVoidka]

*Dear Merlin?s Magic Wand Applicants,

For those of you wishing to take advantage of our complimentary tickets for 2012, there has been a change in the way that Merlin?s Magic Wand will manage applications in 2012, for those families whose children are on the Autistic Spectrum or who have any Autistic related disability.

This year (2011) Magic Wand handled over 5000 applications, nearly 50% of these were from families with children with ASD.

Our Charity has very limited resources and funds and unfortunately we are no longer in a position to be able to manage these applications as efficiently as we wish. Therefore we have had to put in the following process in order for us to continue to work with families of Autistic children.

Applications from individual families will no longer be accepted. You will need to contact your local National Autistic Society Branch (NAS) in order for them to apply for tickets on your behalf. If you are not a member of your local NAS, you will need to contact any other organisation that you are a member of (incl Special Needs School ) that specifically handles children on the Autistic Spectrum. They will be able to submit an application on behalf of all their members.

The NAS are aware of this new procedure and the regional offices will be asked to contact the families on their books to see if they wish to take advantage of our attractions complimentary tickets.

We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause, however, this change needs to be made so that we can help as many children as possible and for us to continue our promise of giving children magical experiences.*

For the info of anyone thinking of applying in the spring.

Interesting, thanks for posting that!

I applied for Merlin's Magic Wand tickets for me and DS, we went to Scarborough sea life centre and had a lovely day out.
Told my local NAS group lady about MMW and she applied for tickets for the area group and they did a big group trip out to lego discovery place in manchester (obv we couldn't go as had already had some tickets).

In a way I can see it's a more efficient way for the charity to deal with issuing tickets - I know it worked well for our local NAS support group, but what if you live in an area where there isn't that provision? Would you then be able to apply as an individual family? Or what if your child with autism cannot handle group transport (eg buses/coaches) because of their autism?

I think this is very shoddy. This is a charity funded by the owners of these attractions which must earn millions and millions in revenue. Crying hardship is rubbish. They are just putting hurdles in the way of accessing tickets.

I have no wish to be a member of the NAS. I certainly would want nothing to do with a big group visit.

It seems like a beneficial deal for the NAS if you ask me as they will undoubtedly increase membership.

So does this mean that the school will be able to apply for individual children?
Ds is one of a small few that LOVE the rides. The higher or faster the better.

My local NAS is not worth bothering with.

How strange that their website doesn't even mention that!

Can you apply now for 2012?

What a shame. DS2 loves fairgrounds, they are an obsessio of his. Never had the chance to apply as we live too far from any of the MWW parks though.

They normally start taking applications about March iirc.

I just got the email this afternoon.

5inthebed - I discovered last summer that DS is a major daredevil when we went to Disneyland Paris. Take him to our local annual fair though and he squeezes himself into the little kiddy rides.

Personalclown - is the school you are referring to an NAS school? If not they won't be able to apply at all! If they are an NAS school I doubt they will be applying for individual tickets, looks like it is being done as group requests/trips to me.

appropriatelytrained - I hope you don't mind me asking but why don't you wish to be a member of the NAS? Genuine question, I tend to take things at face value and may be missing something.

Do local NAS groups screen you to make sure you're signed up as a member?? I am a member at present as I joined at a discounted rate but don't feel I get a huge amount out of it. Get more out of local NAS as they are a great source of local support for me, the lady who runs it is fab!.
There was mutterings at the last Help! course I went on about NAS hugely increasing the fee they charge for courses, course lady was leaving and local NAS lady and her seemed to be discussing changes going on in a not so impressed tone. [earwigger]

We went to DLP a few weeks ago, DS2 loved loved loved it. He also tries to get on the little rides, he doesn't care which ones he is on

I am a bit annoyed by the email and the more I think about it, the more annoyed I am.

Please tell me if I am wrong, but I thought MMW were part of the Merlin Group who make millions every year from places like Alton Towers, Legoland etc. They make it sound like they are a struggling charity.

I applied for 40 tickets for my group to go to Legoland this year. We didn't go as a whole group. I gave out tickets and families went when was best for them.

I do think it is a cynical move for the NAS to increase their membership.

I have had an email from MMW asking for donations and presenting themselves as a poor charity struggling in hard times.

Having seen this, I assume the NAS must have struck a deal to take over the 'management' of the tickets on the basis that people must be members.

Whowhowho - membership of the NAS is a matter of personal preference. I used to be a branch secretary. I am sure they help many people. My experience, however, was that they prop up LA with their Early Bird Plus courses which function as an excuse for LAs not to provide actual provision in schools, they expect the branch committees to offer everything to the membership (from fundraising to telephone support) so those in need support others in need, they run often ineffective campaigns, they are not at the forefront of changes in autism treatment and research, they duck the really difficult or controversial challenges because they are too much a part of the establishment and to focused on netting funds....... this is just my opinion.

Presumably MMW is owned and run by the Merlin group, which owns Chessington/Thorpe Park/Alton Towers/London Eye/Sealife centres/Legoland/Madame Tussauds/etc?

Hardly struggling for cash...

The Merlin group have been refining the way they deal with disability issues for a while now - their exit pass scheme has changed (for the better for those with ASD, imo).

If it could all be done as Lisa says - group charity applying for tickets, to be given out as needed/wanted to individual families, then it kind of makes sense - cuts down on applications at least, and might mean MMW can get through more applications (well same no. of applications, but more tickets given out, as ech application for multiple families)

but if it to all be for group visits, then that is rubbish - wouldn;t suit loads of people at all.

I also don't have anything to do with the NAS - they don't represent what I need (or what dd1 needs), and would be unlikely to join them, whatever the incentive.

have delved a bit, and while it is not entirely clear, it seems MMW is not owned by Merlin group, but is officially suported by them.

they had a large donation (100k) and 5000 tickets apparently. not sure whether this is annually or not.

I also have nothing to do with the NAS, I believe they are complicit with LAs in preventing autistic children obtaining appropriate education. Their agenda is not one that best serves people with autism imo.

As a mum of three boys on the autistic spectrum who runs an NAS branch, I have to say that we have applied, as a group, for MMW tickets for the past few years and our parents like the fact we all go as a group and have plenty of familiar faces and support on the outing.

Our branch doesn't care if members are NAS members or not and we are free to join. I don't always agree with everything the NAS does, but our branch helps and supports over 300 families on a very tight budget! We actively help families fight the council for children's services involvement.

I have had families trying to obtain tickets as individuals and via our group - it's those families who try to benefit twice, if not more times, that MMW are trying to prevent abusing the system... We have to provide a detailed list of those attending so that they can ensure there aren't duplicates.

I think their logic is that if the family are part of a group and we have seen the diagnosis letter and the child's behaviour/issues, we can verify that they are indeed genuine and entitled.

I am grateful for the fun my own boys have had with their free tickets.

MMW was set up by Merlin Entertainments Group with the precise charitable purpose of promoting access to their own attractions. These tickets will be donated to the charity and this 'charitable' disposition will doubtless carry tax benefits for this multi-national organisation.

MMW argue that arrangements are needed with charities to assist with administration as clearly Merlins can't be bothered to fund the staff to do this.

NikkiASD - it sounds like you do great work but some parents will undoubtedly be put off by this and some groups will not be as flexible about non-members etc. I suppose, ultimately, I feel that in cash-strapped times, it is not the NAS's job to police free tickets for a multi-national company and I am annoyed that this task is being passed on to the volunteers on the ground like this. For free.

I await the NAS flier, circular, note on their site linking them to the free tickets.

"We are a family attraction based business with great brands including LEGOLAND, Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, Alton Towers, SEALIFE Centres, The Dungeons, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Warwick Castle, Heide Park in Germany and Gardaland in Italy. We operate in 12 countries across three continents and last year we welcomed 32 million guests to our 52 attractions," said Merlin CEO, Nick Varney. "Unfortunately, some children, through disadvantages which are not of their own making, are not in a position to be able to come and experience our attractions, or indeed many of the things that most children take for granted. We hope that by making available magical and memorable experiences, the new Merlin's Magic Wand charity will be able to bring some pleasure and improvement to the lives of some of those children."

So they donate the free tickets and the charity doles them out. I'm not a city lawyer but I don't doubt that the cost of every ticket will be considered a charitable donation of the cost price of that ticket by the company to the charity.

This must surely carry a tax benefit and think of all the money you spend while you are there!!!.

I would also wonder what percentage of all children with SN have ASD.

Im annoyed about this too.

I feel like we are being frozen out.

Only had time to skim but wanted to comment. I've seen hints of this attitude before. Apparently us parents of ASD children are becoming so 'vocal' that children with other disabilities are being 'side-lined'.

Dunno about you but my concerns/campaigning is about the rights of all disabled young people.