World Autism Awareness Day falls on 2 April every year. This year I had the privilege of speaking at Zhuhai’s Autism Awareness Day celebration — and I want to share the speech, and some of the thinking behind it, here.

This wasn’t a speech about statistics or policy. It was a speech about people — about the children I have watched grow, the team at the Zhuhai Autism Society who have dedicated their lives to those children, and about what it means to find a purpose that goes beyond your professional life.

I am sharing it because I believe these stories deserve to be told.

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The following is the text of my speech, delivered at the Autism Awareness Day event in Zhuhai on 2 April 2025:

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Good afternoon, everyone.

It is truly an honour for me to be here with you today, celebrating Autism Awareness Day here in Zhuhai.

My name is Mark Clayton, and I stand before you today not just as Chairman and Co-Founder of Come Together Community (CTC), but as someone deeply moved and inspired by the incredible work being done by each of you here.

In February, in the Philippines, I was Knighted for my work in philanthropy, geopolitical relations, and peace. It was an extremely humbling experience — but equally humbling is standing here amongst amazing people who dedicate their lives to helping others.

When we founded CTC back in 2011, our core mission was simple: helping underprivileged school children gain access to better educational opportunities. Transparency was our foundation, and through that openness, we’ve built trust with our supporters, partners, and the communities we serve.

However, in 2014, something remarkable happened that fundamentally elevated our purpose. That was the year I met Charles He and learned about the groundbreaking work of the Zhuhai Autism Society (ZAS).

Witnessing the passion, dedication, and real impact Charles and the ZAS board had on children with developmental conditions profoundly inspired me. Their work was a powerful catalyst that made CTC pivot our mission — to broaden our support to include children living with developmental conditions such as Autism.

We have now worked with the Zhuhai Autism Society for ten years — working together on incredible programmes such as the flagship Day Care Centre, which is no longer required due to amazing government intervention. That is a huge win for us all. We have also supported partnerships between ZAS and industry that have provided a route into employment for children living with autism. I’m also particularly proud of the many educational programmes we’ve funded — robotics training, skating, and more. These programmes provide children with important social and transferable workplace skills.

Charles and his team taught us the true meaning of dedication and compassion. Their commitment energised us to try harder, do more, and to never settle in our mission to make lives better.

I truly believe that every child, regardless of their condition, deserves every opportunity to live their fullest potential.

All of us have a financial purpose in life — we work hard, provide for our families, and build our careers. But beyond financial gains, I’ve come to discover a profound social purpose.

This purpose has been shaped over many years by the countless acts of kindness, support, and collaboration I’ve experienced. These acts of generosity inspired me, and now it’s my mission to give back wherever and whenever possible — to businesses, students, our beloved Zhuhai community, and especially to children in need.

Because today, we sit here capable of making a difference. But tomorrow belongs to our children.

And if each one of us commits to doing just a little something extra, a little something kind for someone else, imagine how much brighter the future can be for all children.

Together, through continued awareness, compassion, and action, we can build a world that truly embraces and empowers every child.

Thank you all, from my heart, for everything you do. Let’s keep moving forward, hand in hand, creating a better tomorrow for our children.

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A note on why this matters to me

CTC’s partnership with the Zhuhai Autism Society has run for over a decade now. What began as a single connection — meeting Charles He in 2014 and seeing the extraordinary work his team were doing — has grown into one of the most meaningful strands of everything CTC does.

The Day Care Centre. Robotics classes. Skating programmes. Routes into employment. Each one a small story of a child’s potential being taken seriously and invested in.

I don’t share speeches lightly. But this one captures something I want to say clearly and publicly: the people working on the frontlines of autism support in Zhuhai are doing heroic work. They deserve recognition, and the children they serve deserve every opportunity we can give them.

If you are a business operating in South China and would like to support CTC’s work with the Zhuhai Autism Society, please get in touch.

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Mark Clayton FCMA CGMA CPA KOR — Group CFO, C2W Group | Chairman, British Chamber of Commerce South China | Founder & Chairman, Come Together Community