Lloyds banks on Malmesbury's Luke (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Lloyds banks on Malmesbury's Luke

10:00am Monday 20th August 2012 in News By Victoria Ashford

An autism sufferer from Malmesbury has been recognised as a pioneer in the world of banking for the disabled.

Luke Dicker, 20, of Hullavington, has been invited to the Houses of Parliament in October for the launch of Lloyds TSB Bank group’s disability programme.

He was chosen to attend following his work with Lloyds since November last year, where he was instrumental in looking at ways to set up banking services for disabled customers, after he wrote to the company to express his own difficulties as a customer.

Despite being expelled from Malmesbury School for his challenging behaviour, the teenager, who also suffers with ADHD, has turned his life around becoming a spokesman for his disability and launching the charity Ambitious About Autism.

His mother, Jan Greenman, will be accompanying Mr Dicker to London on October 15.

She said: “Being expelled from Malmesbury School at 15 years left Luke with a serious anxiety about what his future held as he felt that he was ‘no good at anything’.

“That was a dreadful time of our life. I didn’t think there was a future for him then.

“From then things could only get better and he has worked so hard to make himself heard. All he wants is to have a regular job.”

During the last couple of years Mr Dicker has met the Queen and been named as Rotary International Citizen of the Year in 2010.