The AGN Staff
Cathy Wassell
CEO
Cathy Wassell is the CEO and founder of the Autistic Girls Network (AGN) charity and a passionate advocate for neurodivergent individuals, particularly girls and women. With a deep understanding gained through both personal and professional experience, and neurodivergent herself, Cathy is committed to fostering a world where neurodivergent individuals are understood, accepted, and empowered.
Driven by a desire to create more inclusive and supportive educational environments, Cathy founded The Haven online school under the AGN umbrella. This innovative school provides a tailored and nurturing learning experience for neurodivergent girls and non-binary young people, recognising and celebrating their unique strengths and needs, and prioritising their wellbeing.
Cathy is also the author of the highly acclaimed book, Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person: A Parent’s Handbook to Supporting Newly Diagnosed Teens and Pre-Teens. This essential resource offers practical advice, insights, and strategies for supporting autistic young people through adolescence and beyond, drawing on Cathy’s extensive knowledge and empathetic approach. It’s suitable for anyone caring for or working with autistic young people.
Through her leadership at AGN, the establishment of The Haven, and her book, Cathy works to raise awareness, challenge misconceptions, and provide support to autistic individuals, their families, and professionals.
Charlie Hamilton
Fundraising Lead
Charlie is Autistic and has ADHD, and she brings her lived experience to everything she does at AGN. She is passionate about neuro-affirming practice and believes deeply in the power of storytelling and systemic advocacy to change how autistic girls and women are understood, supported, and valued.
As our Fundraising Lead, Charlie manages our trust and foundation grant applications, community fundraising, sponsored sporting challenges, and corporate partnerships, all with the aim of growing AGN’s reach and impact so that more autistic girls and women can access the support they deserve.
Charlie is also a participatory researcher specialising in neuroinclusion, currently pursuing doctoral research at Lancaster University. She is a qualified secondary school English teacher and has worked as an academic researcher at UCL’s Centre for Research in Autism and Education and as Lead Trainer for the National Autism Trainer Programme. This blend of academic insight, autistic lived experience, and practical expertise shapes how she approaches her work: evidence-led, grounded in community, and always centred on the people AGN exists to serve.
You can contact Charlie to discuss any aspect of fundraising: charlie.hamilton@autisticgirlsnetwork.org
Cath Parry
Volunteer Coordinator
Cath brings both lived experience and professional expertise to her role as our Volunteer Coordinator. As a late-diagnosed Autistic and ADHDer—and a mother to two Autistic daughters—she deeply understands the nuances of the neurodivergent journey.
When she isn’t managing our amazing volunteer team, Cath is a powerhouse of community support. She facilitates our young people’s groups, leads adult peer support sessions, and hosts parent workshops. Beyond her work with AGN, she operates as a freelance neurodivergent coach and mentor, and she is passionate about home-educating her youngest teenager.
