Hertfordshire SEND Summit

Our DS Achieve Co-Chairs, Kelly Harris and Michelle Bolton, were pleased to be invited to attend the Hertfordshire SEND Summit yesterday to represent the interests of our community to help shape plans for SEND reform across the county. 

SEND leaders presented insights into the improvement work which has taken place since the Herts Ofsted inspection failure and it was clear that progress has been made in many areas, with positive intent that this will continue. However it was also acknowledged that there is still ‘much more to do’ with limited resources, and that parents are not yet consistently feeling the impact of improvements made. 

We welcomed the opportunity to share our community’s views and discuss our childrens’ needs, and we’d encourage everyone to engage in the HCC consultation exercises which will be taking place across the county. Important upcoming events include the publication of a Government White Paper on SEND reform, and Hertfordshire’s own SEND Strategy (November 2025) and budget (February 2026). 

We also took the opportunity to press leaders for more details on action plans (exactly what will happen and by when). 

We look forward to seeing these questions answered in the new SEND strategy and we’ll be actively engaging in the consultation exercises as they progress. As always, we’re keen to hear your views so please do get in touch if there is anything you’d like to share.

Welcome to the 2025-26 Academic Year!

We’re back! DS Achieve reopened for the Autumn term last week. We hope you’ve had a lovely summer break and a good return to school, although we’re also aware that both holidays and school restarting can be a very challenging time for many families. If you need any support, please do get in touch. 

You’ll recall earlier in the year we announced some exciting people changes which take place this term. Kelly Harris and Michelle Bolton are now Co-Chairing the charity, with former Chair Gillian Warwick-Thompson moving to the role of Treasurer after five years of outstanding and dedicated leadership. 

We’re delighted that Fiona Forster has now expanded her Operations Manager role, and that new starter Natalie Fennell joins us as Services Administrator. Please contact Fiona and Natalie on info@dsachieve.org if you have any queries about the day to day running of our services. 

We’re also extremely lucky to have our fantastic team and Trustees continuing in their current roles, and we’re recruiting for a new Assistant Leader and Support Worker to assist with running our Young Achievers group. Click here for further details about the roles. If you or anyone you know would like to apply, please get in touch. 

A new term at school means a new term for DS Achieve activities and services, take a look below to see what we have coming up:

• GROUPS for children:

  • Little Achievers starts back on Thursday 18th September

  • Young Achievers starts back on Saturday 20th September:

• TRAINING:

  • Our schools training starts on Tuesday 7th October with our three part course Supporting Pupils with Down Syndrome in Education for education professionals: More Information and Supporting Pupils with DS in Education Training Tickets

• And don’t forget our Resources into Schools service which is ongoing. Make your application at any time.

If you would like any more information on any of the services DS Achieve offers, please get in touch! We would love to hear from you: info@dsachieve.org / 07824 467471.

Now Recruiting for Young Achievers!

We’re growing our Young Achievers team and are now recruiting for two roles:

Young Achievers Assistant Leader - a fantastic opportunity to support the planning and delivery of our weekly social skills and confidence-building group for young people with Down Syndrome.

Young Achievers Support Worker - providing extra hands-on support to the children/young people attending our Saturday afternoon sessions

Both roles are term-time only and based in Welwyn Garden City on Saturday afternoons. You’ll be joining a warm, committed and fun team who are passionate about helping young people reach their potential.

To find out more about the roles, please have a look at the role profiles in the links below:

Young Achievers Assistant Leader

Young Achievers Support Worker

If you are interested in applying for the position, please get in touch with your CV and the reasons why you’re interested in the role on info@dsachieve.org.

The application deadline is Sunday 21st September. Please expect to receive a response to your application once the deadline has passed.

Funding Boost for Young Achievers – Now Recruiting!

We’re delighted to share that, thanks to grant awards from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Simon Gibson Charitable Trust, the Young Achievers programme has confirmed funding for the next academic year.  

The grants will allow us to continue running the programme from September and to add an additional Support Worker role to our Young Achievers team, to provide extra hands-on support to the children/young people attending our Saturday afternoon sessions.

We’re also recruiting for our existing Young Achievers Assistant Leader role - a fantastic opportunity to support the planning and delivery of our weekly social skills and confidence-building group for young people with Down Syndrome.

Both roles are term-time only and based in Welwyn Garden City on Saturday afternoons. You’ll be joining a warm, committed and fun team who are passionate about helping young people reach their potential.

We’re incredibly grateful for both grant funders’ support, which help us sustain this important work - but as a small charity, we continue to face significant funding pressures and still rely heavily on our community to keep our services going. Your continued support truly means the world.

To find out more about the roles, please have a look at the role profiles in the links below:

Young Achievers Assistant Leader

Young Achievers Support Worker

If you are interested in applying for the position, please get in touch with your CV and the reasons why you’re interested in the role on info@dsachieve.org.

The application deadline is Monday 30th June. Please expect to receive a response to your application once the deadline has passed.

We are recruiting for a Young Achievers Assistant Leader! - Applications now closed

Subject to successful grant funding for the next academic year, we’re recruiting for a Young Achievers Assistant Leader. You will report to the Young Achievers Group Leader and be responsible for supporting the running of the programme, which will include assisting with planning and delivering the weekly activity sessions, managing the volunteer schedule, supporting communications with parents, liaising with external activity providers where needed, and helping to supervise the team.

Pay: £14.30 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Statutory holiday entitlement

Hours: 5 hours per week for 31 weeks per year (term time only):

• 4 hours to be worked 2pm - 6pm on Saturday afternoons at the YAs venue

• 1 hour to be worked during each week from home, ahead of the Saturday group sessions.  The timing of this is flexible and should be agreed with the YAs Group Leader.

YAs location: Applecroft School, Applecroft Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6JZ

Contract: Fixed Term for 11 months (Sept 25 – Jul 26), with a view to renewing for the next academic year

Start date: September 2025

If you are interested in applying for the position and want to find out more, please read the role profile here and get in touch with your CV and the reasons why you’re interested in the role on info@dsachieve.org.

The application deadline is Wednesday 21st May. Please expect to receive a response to your application once the deadline has passed.

UPDATE Thursday 22nd May: Applications have now closed and we are unable to accept any further applicants.

Updates to our Governance Structure and Team

We are excited to share some DS Achieve people news with you! Please be reassured that these changes will not impact our services. These behind-the-scenes updates are designed to strengthen how we govern, operate and grow - ensuring we’re in the best possible shape for the future. 

Board of Trustees: Chair and Trustee Roles

After five years leading DS Achieve as Chair of Trustees, Co-Founder Gillian Warwick-Thompson is stepping down from the role.  We are immensely grateful for Gillian’s outstanding leadership, dedication and unwavering belief in what DS Achieve can accomplish.   She has worked tirelessly to establish the charity and expand the range of services we offer, whilst continuously supporting and developing the team and individual families with the challenges they’ve faced. 

We’re thrilled to say Gillian will remain on our Board, continuing to share her expertise and guidance. Thank you, Gillian, for everything you’ve done - and continue to do - from everyone at DS Achieve and on behalf of our families. 

We’re equally delighted to announce that fellow Co-Founders Michelle Bolton and Kelly Harris will succeed Gillian, jointly stepping in to Co-Chair the charity. Both have a long-standing history with DS Achieve, having previously been Co-Chairs, and Michelle has also been our Head of Operations for the past five years. Their deep knowledge and passion for our mission will ensure strong continuity at Board level as we continue to drive the work of the charity forward. Kelly has taken on her new role from 1st May, with Michelle joining her from September. Thank you to Kelly for re-joining the team as Co-Chair and to Michelle for her firm and ongoing commitment to leading DS Achieve into the next phase. DS Achieve is fortunate to have such strong leadership for the future. 

The four other members of our Trustee Board (Rob, Selena, Tina and Huw) will also continue to contribute their time and expertise to our governance and strategic development. We are hugely grateful for all they volunteer to do for the charity. 

Changes to our Management Team

When Michelle moves to her new Co-Chair role in September, we’re pleased to announce that Fiona Forster will lead Operations going forward. Fiona joined DS Achieve as Operations Manager in September 2023 and quickly established herself as a core part of the DS Achieve senior team. Over the past 18 months, Fiona has shown great leadership in both service delivery and team management. She guides our employee team with a calm and thoughtful approach, and has been instrumental in developing and launching new services. This next step is a well-deserved recognition of her contribution to DS Achieve and we wish Fiona every success in her new role.

To support Fiona in her new role, we are in the process of recruiting a part-time Services Administrator.  The closing date was 6th May 2025 and interviews will shortly be underway, with a view to making an offer in the coming weeks.  Our aim is for our new team member to complete their induction and settle into their new role before the end of the academic year.

Join our Board of Trustees

Finally, we’re always keen to hear from individuals who are interested in becoming Trustees. We’re proud to have a Board with a strong and diverse mix of skills and experience and we’d particularly welcome those with lived experience of Down Syndrome, or backgrounds in education or social services, safeguarding, fundraising, or relevant professional fields. If you’re passionate about making a difference and you can commit 5-10 hours per term, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us on info@dsachieve.org to arrange an informal chat. 

Thank you for your continued support - we’re excited about the next chapter for DS Achieve and the opportunities it brings. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. 

We wish everyone success in their new roles.

DS Achieve Charity Place Available for the 2026 TCS London Marathon

We’re excited to share that DS Achieve has secured one charity place for the 2026 TCS London Marathon, taking place on Sunday 26th April 2026.

Taking part in this world-famous event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and by running for DS Achieve, you’ll be helping to raise vital funds to support children and young people with Down Syndrome.

If selected as our runner, we ask that you:

• Pay a £50 registration fee

• Commit to a minimum fundraising target of £2,000

Every mile you run and every pound you raise will go directly towards our essential services.

If you’d like to apply for the space, please follow the link below and submit your entry before 31st May 2025.

If you have any questions or would like to chat before applying, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@dsachieve.org.

We are recruiting a Services Administrator! - Applications now closed

We’re excited to be recruiting for a brand new part-time Services Administrator role at DS Achieve.

As the demand for our services continues to grow and the funding landscape becomes more challenging, we’re creating this role to help build capacity within our small team. By strengthening our administrative support, we can free up valuable time to focus more energy on fundraising, ensuring our vital work can continue and grow.

If you’re highly organised, a great communicator, and have a sharp eye for detail, we’d love to hear from you!

To find out more details, please have a look at the role profile here.

To apply, please send your CV and your reasons for your interest in the role to us at: info@dsachieve.org.

The application deadline is Tuesday 6th May. Please expect to receive a response to your application once the deadline has passed.

UPDATE Wednesday 7th May: Applications have now closed and we are unable to accept any further applicants.

Happy World Down Syndrome Day!

Each year on 21st March we mark World Down Syndrome Day. We celebrate Down Syndrome (DS) to raise awareness about what it means to have DS and the huge potential that people with DS have.

On this day, we create a single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and wellbeing of people with DS.

Why the 21st March? The 21st day of the third month was chosen to represent the three copies of the 21st chromosome which causes Down Syndrome. This unique chromosomal pattern is often represented by brightly coloured or mismatched socks, as their shape resembles chromosomes.

World Down Syndrome Day is a perfect time to get talking about DS, dispel myths, raise awareness (and funds!) and most importantly, celebrate.

A great way to do this is by taking part in the 'Lots Of Socks' campaign. The campaign was launched to get people talking, and is a celebration of everything that makes all of us different, and yet the same.

Wear some mismatched or colourful socks that are going to get noticed and then when someone notices, it’s the perfect opportunity to say, “I’m wearing them to raise awareness about Down Syndrome”. And that’s your chance to share everything you want them to understand about DS.

The theme for WDSD 2025 is to call on all Governments to ‘Improve Our Support Systems’. For more information about WDSD 2025, here are some useful links:

Improve Our Support Systems - Down Syndrome International

Improve Our Support Systems - theme explainer

Down Syndrome explained

WDSD 2025 – Down Syndrome UK

World Down Syndrome Day | United Nations

We are incredibly grateful for all of the support that you give us. Your generosity enables us to continue delivering our high quality services that make a meaningful difference in the lives of our families.

What better occasion than World Down Syndrome Day to show your support of DS Achieve through a donation? If we’ve made a positive impact in your life or in the life or someone you love, please consider making a contribution to us.

Vacancy - Chair of Trustees

DS Achieve is a registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation formed by parents of children with Down Syndrome. Our vision is that every child with Down Syndrome in our community has the opportunity to thrive and reach their potential. We support and champion children and young people with Down Syndrome by providing advice and support to their parents and carers, ensuring professionals are knowledgeable and skilled, and creating a positive, inclusive community. Our team is professional, dynamic and inclusive.

The Role:

We are seeking an experienced individual to lead our Board of Trustees as Chair. This is a voluntary position, with a commitment of approximately 10 to 15 hours per month, including attendance at half-termly board meetings and occasional events. Board meetings are held in the St Albans area (or online).

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership to the Board, ensuring it operates within its charitable objectives and complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.

• Work closely with the Head of Operations to support delivering DS Achieve's strategic objectives.

• Act as an ambassador for DS Achieve, promoting its work and enhancing its public profile.

About You:

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience of chairing a board, partnership, or high-level committee, with the ability to run meetings effectively and in a collegiate fashion. 

• A passion for supporting children and young people with Down Syndrome.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to foster relationships with a range of stakeholders.

• An understanding of charity governance and the responsibilities of trustees.

What We Offer:

While the role is unremunerated, reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed and training will be provided. The role will help you enhance and develop your leadership skills in a small but professionally run organisation. This is an opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of children and young people with Down Syndrome in our community, working with a friendly and dedicated team of trustees and staff.

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest and suitability for the role to info@dsachieve.org by 21 March 2025. For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Gillian Warwick-Thompson on 07826 086511.

DS Achieve is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences.

Join us in empowering families and fulfilling potential.