A TEENAGER will skydive to raise money for a charity that supports people with Autism.

On the 28th July 2018, Worcester-based Alex Hales will skydive 10,000 feet at the Swindon Skydiving Centre. He has already raised over £1,600 for the National Autistic Society.

Alex, who is currently an A-level student, is the identical twin brother of Louis Hales, who is autistic and goes to a specialist school. Alex’s primary motivation for skydiving is to raise awareness of autism.

Alex, 17 said: “There have been many cases when I have been out in public with Louis and people just stare or laugh at him because they simply do not recognise the personal challenges Louis faces each day. This is why I chose to do a skydive as my charity event as I wanted to overcome a challenge, like thousands of autistic people do daily."

He will not be doing his skydive alone as Joel Baril, a lifelong friend of the twins, will be take on the challenge and fundraise alongside Alex. They decided to raise money for the National Autistic Society because it was their online resources that helped Alex and Joel learn more about Louis’ condition.

Alex said: “Being an identical twin is always a very special thing. Not only do you look alike but also you get a unique bond... At first it’s difficult and you struggle, but once you get past the initial language barrier then you're fluent and you no longer struggle as much.I believe everyone has the capacity to understand autism.