Our Impact in 2025
THank you!
2025 has been a year of growth, learning and resilience for DS Achieve. As a small charity, our commitment to ensuring every child with Down Syndrome in our community has the opportunity to thrive remains at the heart of everything we do.
Over the past year, we’ve supported more families, strengthened our programmes, and continued building a community where children and young people are celebrated, empowered and included.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who makes this possible - the families we work with, our grant funders, our supporters and social media followers, and especially our brilliant employee team, our trustees, our Advisory Teachers and our volunteers - we truly couldn’t do it without you!
We’re delighted to share our highlights from 2025.
little achievers
Our weekly play and development group for children aged 0-5 years continues to provide a safe, supportive space for young children and their families to connect, learn, and grow. The programme was funded by The Herts Community Fund and The Hobson Charity until August 2025. The Autumn 2025 term has been funded by Jeans for Genes, and we are delighted to have secured a three-year grant from BBC Children in Need starting in January 2026 to continue this important work.
We are grateful to have had a consistent and experienced team in place - Eve, Rachael and Emma, ensuring stability and continuity for the children. A special thank you goes to Sandra for her expertise in delivering the early intervention teaching sessions and to Emma Vaughan for stepping in to provide cover for the teaching sessions when needed - her support has played an important role in maintaining a smooth experience for families.
We continued to welcome visiting therapists (Speech and Language, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy), who offered tailored guidance to families, including a Makaton training session, while the children enjoyed a wide range of themed sessions in the Stay and Play part of the group. We have also welcomed other professional visitors including Early Years Specialist Advisory Teachers and a Teacher from the Deaf & Hearing Support Service plus visits from our fantastic funders. From sensory and messy play to craft activities building fine and gross motor skills, each session was thoughtfully designed to help children progress towards their developmental milestones.
“I truly appreciate the inclusive and encouraging environment you and the team create - it makes such a difference.”
“I love how structured the stay and play is and how engaging it is for each child, not just a set few. There really is something that stimulates every child and it’s beautiful to see.”
“Our child has really benefited from the DS Achieve weekly groups and the health professionals who attend.”
YOUNG ACHIEVERS
This weekly programme for children and young people aged 5-18 is designed to promote social skills, confidence, and friendship. The group provides a fun and supportive environment where participants can explore their potential. The programme has been funded through fundraising efforts, and we are especially grateful to our parents for their ongoing support, as well as grants from Cash for Kids, The Christopher Laing Foundation, The Simon Gibson Charitable Foundation, and St Albans District Council. We are thrilled to have also secured a two-year grant from The National Lottery which started in September 2025.
We were very sad to say goodbye to our Assistant Leader, Charlotte N, at the end of the summer term but delighted to welcome Robyn as a new Support Worker in November. The programme this year has been delivered by Emma, Charlotte N, Charlotte L, and Robyn, who are supported by our brilliant team of volunteers, and bring enthusiasm, energy and encouragement to every session.
This year, each term focused on a key theme: Being Healthy and Staying Safe, Building Friendships, and All About Me.
As part of our Keeping Safe/Being Healthy topic, the group had an unforgettable visit from Hertfordshire Police, complete with a police car, fire engine and the chance to try on police hats. The officers spent time talking with the children, answering questions and making safety learning exciting, engaging and memorable - the smiles and excitement said it all!
During our Building Friendships term, we explored what makes a good friend, supported children in forming meaningful connections, and developed social skills such as sharing, turn-taking and recognising emotions. Highlights included partner yoga, friendship bingo, kindness Jenga and a wide range of team games that helped children build confidence and stronger bonds with their peers, staff and volunteers.
In the Autumn term, the children and young people also enjoyed sessions on developing their sense of identity in our All About Me theme, taking part in activities that encouraged self-expression and confidence-building.
Together, these sessions created a warm, inclusive space where children and young people could learn, grow and celebrate their individuality.
Due to ongoing recruitment challenges, the group will be temporarily paused from January 2026 while we review and update the service. We look forward to sharing details of the refreshed service as soon as we can.
“It’s an amazing group and we are so lucky to be able to bring our son along and make friends and build up his confidence.”
“ I can’t fully put into words what a truly fantastic and life enhancing service everyone at DS Achieve provides, and how valuable this is to our children. It’s uniquely valuable, and very much appreciated by us and our community.”
“Having been turned away before from ‘typical’ classes, we are so grateful that DS Achieve exists and that the whole team and volunteers are welcoming and encouraging.”
Resources into Schools
This programme combines bespoke Specialist Down Syndrome Advisory Teacher advice to schools and nurseries together with the delivery of a practical resource or personalised training to help teachers better support individual children with Down Syndrome specific aspects of their learning. We would like to say an enormous thank you to the Grumpy Givers for their very generous donation for our Resources into Schools service for the 2025-26 academic year.
“It has really benefitted our understanding of how to support our young people with Down Syndrome, for example how we lay out learning to make it accessible, as well as the different ways we can support the development of reading and embedding that in our curriculum. ”
“It gave school the confidence and belief in my child to do something I’d been suggesting for years. Am very grateful. ”
Resources into Homes
This is a bespoke service for early years children which provides direct training from a Specialist Down Syndrome Advisory Teacher, to parents, on how to use a specialist resource to enable your child to achieve maximum progression with their learning at this early stage.
“Highly recommend - the training the very easy to use and incorporate into daily life. I feel reassured and supported in aiding my daughters communication development.”
PARENT SUPPORt
We ran two trial sessions for a new wellbeing support service for parents: one daytime group for parents of school-age children on ‘Exploring Stresses’, and one evening group aimed at parents of younger children on the topic of ‘Exploring Life as a Parent-Carer’. A big thank you goes to Rachel Angus, a qualified counsellor and parent of a child with Down Syndrome, for leading each session and providing a safe, supportive environment where parents could feel heard and reflect whilst sharing experiences so far as a parent carer.
“Such a wonderful, valuable, and needed service for parents and carers as it’s so easy to lose yourself looking after others, especially when they have complex needs.”
“As a carer it can be difficult to find time for yourself, and allowing a space to manage that in solidarity with others in a similar position was incredibly beneficial.”
TRAINING
We delivered our ‘Supporting Pupils with Down Syndrome in Education’ training again this Autumn term, and demand from schools across Hertfordshire and the surrounding counties remains consistently high. Our thanks go to Helen Long for delivering this course on our behalf and supporting so many education settings to better meet the needs of their pupils.
We were also invited back again to deliver a training session on Down Syndrome to student midwives at City University. Our aim is to equip future midwives and medical professionals with the knowledge, confidence and compassion needed to support families in those early moments and beyond. A huge thank you to parent and Speech and Language Therapist Emma Vaughan, who joined us to debunk common myths around Down Syndrome and emphasise the importance of positive, accurate and empowering language - something that can make an enormous difference to the families midwives care for.
We have provided bespoke 'whole school' training on Down Syndrome for one school and delivered training to St Albans District Council.
My Voice Volunteer programme
Over the past three years, we’ve been proud to partner with Hertfordshire Libraries to create and deliver the My Voice youth volunteering programme. Originally a two-year funded project, it has been such a success that it is now fully embedded in the library service.
The programme has given young people with Down Syndrome the chance to volunteer in libraries across Hertfordshire - and it has been incredible to see their confidence grow, new skills develop, and local communities enriched.
From Autumn 2025, Hertfordshire Libraries are now taking the lead in managing the programme. We will direct any future volunteering enquiries from young people and families straight to their team, who are brilliantly placed to carry it forward.
We are incredibly proud of what My Voice has achieved, and delighted that its future is secure within Hertfordshire Libraries. We are grateful to Hertfordshire Libraries for such a positive and collaborative partnership, and we look forward to seeing the programme continue to thrive for years to come.
“Volunteering is a good way to be more social and do things that aren’t online. The library is a safe space as well, and I feel secure here.”
“Everyone was smiling when I collected her yesterday after her first independent session.”
“I simply could not have held the event without our volunteer’s support and assistance. I hope that she enjoys working alongside me as much as I enjoy working with her.
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Fundraising
An enormous thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts throughout 2025. Whether you baked (or happily ate!) a cake, donated to our World Down Syndrome Day fundraiser, or encouraged your child’s school to take part in Odd Socks Day, every contribution has helped strengthen our work. As a small charity, every gesture counts, and we are truly grateful.
This year also brought an incredible wave of support during the Pride of Britain voting, and we were overwhelmed by the encouragement, messages and shares from our community. Your enthusiasm showcased just how strong and united the DS Achieve family truly is, and helped to secure us a £2,500 grant from the Pride of Britain Fund - thank you!
Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to have secured a place in the 2026 London Marathon, with Penny Taylor proudly running for DS Achieve. If you would like to support Penny’s fundraising, you can do so here.
As a small charity, your support is vital in helping us sustain our services and enable children and young people to thrive. As we move into 2026, we remain committed to building sustainable funding and strengthening our community so that DS Achieve can continue creating lasting, positive impact for years to come.
Your support means the world to us - thank you!
Behind the scenes
2025 was a year of important developments in our governance and operational structure, all designed to strengthen DS Achieve for the future.
After five years of exceptional leadership as Chair, Co-Founder Gillian Warwick-Thompson stepped down from the role. We are immensely grateful for her dedication, vision and the pivotal role she has played in establishing and growing DS Achieve. We are delighted that Gillian remains on the Board, continuing to offer her expertise and support.
We were pleased to welcome fellow Co-Founders Michelle Bolton and Kelly Harris as our new Co-Chairs. Both bring deep knowledge of the charity and longstanding commitment to our mission, ensuring strong continuity at Board level. Our thanks also go to Trustees Rob, Selena, Tina and Huw, who continue to contribute their time and expertise to guide our work.
In September, Fiona Forster stepped into an expanded role as Operations Manager and to further strengthen our operations, we also welcomed Natalie to the newly created role of Services Administrator.
These changes ensure we have the right structure in place to operate effectively, adapt sustainably and continue delivering high-quality services for families. A heartfelt thank you to every member of our team for the flexibility, teamwork and positivity shown throughout this transition. This collective effort strengthens DS Achieve and helps secure a bright future for the charity and the families we support.
In addition to events, we have had huge success with raising awareness, sharing knowledge, information and positivity throughout the year by sending out newsletters, keeping our social media and website up to date and participating in community and networking events. We have been working hard to spread the word about DS Achieve and highlight our range of services, raising awareness and building valuable local relationships.
Family PARTY
We had a wonderful time celebrating with over 100 of you at our family party in January 2025, and it was so much fun that we couldn’t resist doing it all over again! We’re incredibly grateful to Charlie’s Gift for funding our 2026 family party and making these celebrations possible.
Please join us at our family party on Sunday 22nd March 2026, 3-5pm, find out more and book your tickets here!
THANK YOU all for your support, hard work, funding, cheerleading, Facebook ‘likes’ and all-around love. We are truly grateful and we are looking forward to carrying on delivering these services to you in 2026.
