Peterborough boy (11) who is non-speaking autistic to lead ‘12 Hours of Hope’ Mission
A Peterborough boy who is non-speaking autistic is to shine a light in the city – with an extraordinary 12 hour ‘mission of hope’
Joshua Harris (11) – better known as ‘The Joshie Man’ (TJM) will take on the huge challenge on Sunday (July 13), hoping to spread joy and smiles across the city.
During the Dusk Till Dawn: 12 Hours of Hope challenge – which starts at 7am – he will be joined by community allies and guided by his father, Dan Harris, to carry out acts of kindness across Peterborough.
Planned acts of kindness will include haircuts and makeovers for homeless individuals, toy deliveries to children in hospitals, heartfelt visits to care homes to spend time with the elderly, paying for strangers’ groceries at local supermarkets and presenting flowers to women on the street as a symbol of hope and warmth.
Dan said: “This isn’t just about doing good. It’s about showing the world what’s possible when love, empathy, and determination come together — even when spoken words are absent.”
Joshua’s mission is powered by a growing global community of supporters, affectionately known as the #TJMArmy, including notable figures like Unspoken Atiq, who has taken the youngster under his wing and championed his message of inclusion and action.
Residents are being urged to add their support to the mission, either by sharing the campaign message on social media, sending messages of encouragement to TJM and the team, making a donation at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-joshie-man-bemorejoshie, or by simply performing your own small act of kindness on July 13 in solidarity.
Messages of support are especially encouraged. Dan said: “We’ll be reading every message with TJM the night before the event to help lift his spirits and prepare him for this enormous challenge.”
Last month Dan and Josh went to 10 Downing Street as part of their campaign for Alternative Augmentative Communication (AAC) devices to be made available non-speaking autistic children.
Dan started the Let Them Have Their Voices (LTHTV) Campaign in November, and since then they have donated AAC solutions to children and families across the UK, USA and Mexico with a trip to donate further ‘talkers’ to Brazil planned for July.
In June, Dan was also invited to the House of Lords to give evidence to the Committee considering reform of The Autism Act 2009.
Further details about the campaign can be found at www.freetalker.org or https://www.linkedin.com/in/danjharris/