Alex saw their idea become a reality with the launch of a sensory library for Coventry – primarily for fellow autistic people, but open to all – inside the city’s Central Library.
Items including noise cancelling headphones, weighted lap pads, fidget toys and sensory lights can now be borrowed free of charge by anyone with a library card.
Alex said: “It wasn’t until many years after my autism diagnosis that I really understood the effect that sensory needs were having on me.
“I got noise cancelling headphones about 15 years after my diagnosis through access to work.
“If I’d had the chance to visit a sensory library at the time of my diagnosis and borrow a pair of these, I would have realised how much they would help me and been in a better position earlier in my life.”
Sensory supports can be costly and people don’t always know what will help, or not, until after making a purchase. After experiencing those difficulties and also being passionate about environmental sustainability, Alex came up with the “try before you go and out and buy” idea of a library of items to borrow.
Alex hoped it would help others who were finding autistic sensory processing was frequently causing them to feel overwhelmed and distressed.
Alex continued: “I’d seen some interesting things online about the idea of a library of things and how sharing things can be better for the environment and people.
“I wanted to do something to help my community and a sensory library seemed like a good option.”
Alex initially brought their idea to Grapevine’s Connecting for Good community organising team who made connections with other community-led initiatives they were supporting in Coventry.
Alex’s sensory library joined up with Coventry Resting Spaces. They offer free, quiet spaces in city centre venues – such as the Central Library and Herbert Art Gallery and Museum – where people who need to rest for whatever reason (autism, stress, anxiety, chronic pain) can take time out from the hustle and bustle in a safe place.
The group was founded by local man Ashley who had needed to rest but found nowhere existed to help him do this. He wanted that to change.
A resting space and a sensory library sounded like they complemented one another perfectly. They combined their skills and even tested out what people might like to borrow together first at a Grapevine event.
With the library’s support and funding from Heart of England Community Foundation, the sensory library was fully stocked for launch in March 2025.
Alex concluded: “I wanted to do something collaborative but there is often a model for this which is ‘find people to make a group and run it together’.
“Managing group dynamics didn’t feel accessible for me but Grapevine were really willing to work with me on this to find a more accessible model.”
Sparking Community
More about our Sparking Community work can be found here. Read our five-year strategy here.