Named for George. And for yours.
A community movement for every regional family
doing it without enough support, doing it anyway.
In regional Australia, a child's postcode is determining their educational ceiling. We are building the movement — and the evidence base — to change that. Named for George, my four-year-old son who is autistic and non-verbal and one of the most joyful little people you'd ever meet.
Running for George
Lakes Entrance Half Marathon — 1 November 2026
1 November 2026 · Lakes Entrance Running Festival · East Gippsland, Victoria
The reason for all of it
George is four years old. He is autistic and non-verbal. He loves bubbles, balloons, and launching things across the room with absolutely zero warning. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
He is also the reason I have been losing sleep about what happens when he starts school. Because in regional Victoria — there is nowhere for a child like George to go. Not mainstream. Too complex. Not specialist. Might not qualify.
And the only autism-specific schools in the whole country? They're in NSW and SA. We're not in either of those.
George doesn't get to give up. So I don't get to either.
George 🫧
Do It For is a community movement named for George — and for every child whose name deserves to follow those words. Built for regional and rural families doing it without enough support, doing it anyway.
The model exists. It just doesn't reach far enough. This isn't about building something from scratch — it's about extending what already works into the communities that need it most.
01
Building a register of regional families navigating the same gap. Your story matters. Your child's name matters. Together we become an evidence base that government cannot ignore.
02
Writing letters. Having meetings. Knocking on doors. We are taking the case for autism-specific education in regional Australia directly to the ministers and MPs who can change it.
03
Running 21 kilometres for George in November 2026. Selling merch. Raising funds. Building toward a formal charitable structure that can sustain this work long-term.
The Run
I'm running the Lakes Entrance Half Marathon on 1 November 2026. My first ever half marathon. Terrifying. But that's kind of the whole point — doing hard things anyway, for the kids who need us to.
Every kilometre is a conversation. Every supporter is a voice. Every dollar raised goes toward building what doesn't yet exist in East Gippsland.
"Not because it's guaranteed to work. But because your child deserves someone who tried."
Lily Martyn — Metung, East Gippsland
The Problem
"Postcode shouldn't determine a child's ceiling. The model exists. It just doesn't reach far enough."
In regional Victoria, families of autistic children face a system with only two options — mainstream school or specialist school — with nothing in between for children who are too complex for one and not yet eligible for the other. The only autism-specific schools in Australia operate in NSW and SA.
Mansfield Autism Statewide Services proves Victoria can do this regionally. But students must live within daily travel of Mansfield. For a family in East Gippsland, it's still not an option.
The Journey So Far
Early 2026
A community movement named for George begins taking shape — identifying the systemic gap in regional autism-specific education and beginning to build community before formal structures.
April 2026
Formal letters sent to Darren Chester MP, Jason Clare MP, Ben Carroll MP, and Kristy McBain MP raising the geographic inequity in autism-specific education as a regional issue that deserves a regional solution.
April 2026
A real conversation — not a form letter. Darren committed to visiting the specialist school and meeting with the principal. A media release was published through his office. Something started moving.
April 2026
We learned that Tim Bull MP led the community campaign to establish the East Gippsland Specialist School. He responded positively and flagged the historical regional director's discretion mechanism as something worth pursuing.
May 2026
The Victorian Minister for Education's Senior Adviser and a department representative agreed to meet. The door is open.
Ongoing
The model exists. It just doesn't reach far enough. And we're not going anywhere until it does. 🫧
The Wall of Names
These are the children behind the movement. Every family who registers adds their child's name to this wall — because names matter more than numbers, and your child deserves to be seen.
Add your child's name to the wall. You choose whether their name is displayed publicly or kept private — either way, they are counted.
Every dollar goes toward building what doesn't yet exist for regional families — advocacy, awareness, and eventually, a physical model that reaches further. No amount is too small.
Bank Transfer Details
After transferring, please email martyn.lily@gmail.com with your name and amount so we can acknowledge your support. 🫧
Every bit helps
$10
A voice added
$50
A door knocked
$100
A step closer
If you're a regional family navigating this — we see you. Your child's name deserves to follow these words too.
Add Your Child's Name 🫧
