Affiliated to the Down’s Syndrome Association
Newsletter
Reg Charity No: 1094957
Issue 23 / Winter 2011/12
E-mail: downsyndromee21@aol.com
Patrons: Nik Kershaw, Cllr Joe Pike
Branch Committee Members Chairperson - Greg Stuttle The Foundry, 16 Pemberton Field, South Fambridge, Rochford, Essex SS4 3BF. Tel: 01702 200320 Vice-Chair - Paul Smith 84 Silverdale Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 9BD. Tel: 01702 307299 Secretary - Deidre Clement Birch Coppice, Stondon Road, Marden Ash, Ongar, Essex CM5 9BU. Tel: 01277 363316 Treasurer - Andrew Clement Birch Coppice, Stondon Road, Marden Ash, Ongar, Essex CM5 9BU. Tel: 01277 363316 Newsletter Editors - Sabine & Kevin Nussey 118b Moulsham Street, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 OJW. Tel: 01245 351161 Member - Samantha Russell 48 Roman Road, East Ham, E6 3SR. Tel: 020 747 41735 Member - Liz Garwood 18 Witham Lodge, Witham, Essex CM8 1HG. Tel: 01376 502772 Member - John Talbot 3 Risebridge Road, Gidea Park. Tel: 01708 730594 Member - Sue Gallagher 49 Harold Gardens, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7EP. Tel: 01268 570520 Member - Mary Paton 53 Rushdene Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9ET. Tel: 01277 231065
Local support groups and contacts Barking and Dagenham Teresa Baumann Tel: 020 8594 1056 Chelmsford Anne Hickey Tel: 01245 266750 Colchester Simon & Tracey Barnett Tel: 01206 241112 Ann Irvine Tel: 01206 854803 Corringham & Thurrock Teresa & Kevin Hurley Tel: 01375 678406 Harlow /Loughton Tracey Smith Tel: 01279 451313 Havering and Brentwood Elaine Catmull Tel: 01708 765232
Member - Paula Blakey 4, Glanmead, Shenfield, Essex CM15 8ER Tel: 01277 211625
Newham, East London Samantha Russell Tel: 020 74741735
Member - Grace Wiley 39 Beeleigh Link, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6PH
Saffron Walden Jane Flood Tel: 01799 599451
DISCLAIMER Contributors to this newsletter express their own opinions. These do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of Down Syndrome Extra21.
Southend Alison & Paul Smith Tel: 01702 307299 Wickford Sue Gallagher Tel: 01268 570520 National Office Langdon Down Centre 2a Langdon Park, Teddington TW11 9PS Tel: 0845 230 0372 Fax: 0845 230 0373 Email: info@downs-syndrome.org.uk Web: www.dsa-uk.com
PARENTS’ HOTLINE 01277 365618 email: downsyndromee21@aol.com
The Sarah Duffen Centre, Belmont Street, Southsea, Hampshire. PO5 1NA Tel: 023 9285 5330 • Website: www.downsed.org • Email: enquiries@downsed.org National Office PO Box 4260 Dunstable LU6 2ZT Website: www.downs-heart.downsnet.org Email: penny@dhg.org.uk
If you want immediate information about Down Syndrome Extra 21, the committee has provided a direct telephone line to the Secretary, who can provide help and information. 2
What’s on . . . What’s on . . . What’s on . . . Dates for your diary Sunday, December 4th 2.30pm -5.30pm - traditional Christmas Party at Shenfield Village Hall. Saturday, December 31st Matinee performance of Aladdin at the Cliffs Pavillion, Southend. Saturday, January 14th Matinee performance of Cinderella at Queens Theatre, Hornchurch.
Saturday, April 21st or 28th Grays to Greenwich River Boat Trip. Saturday, May 5th Go Karting Endurance Race at Buckmore Park. Sunday, July 1st Family Fun Day at Barleylands, including AGM.
Sunday, March 11th Afternoon at Creepy Crawlies Soft Play Centre for children aged 12 and under.
Sunday, Sept 16th Family Dun Day at Stubbers Adventure Park.
April 2nd - 5th Firebreak Course for those aged 18 and over.
Saturday October 6th Extra 21 Charity Ball at Stockbrook Manor.
Christmas Fun for Young and Old
Creepy Crawlies Soft Play Centre Back by popular demand: for all children 12 and younger we have again booked Creepy Crawlies Soft Play Centre, Unit 6, Blackall Industrial Estate, Hamberts Rd, South Woodham Ferries, CM3 5UW. As before, we will have sole use of the Play Centre from 2.15 pm until 4.15 pm on Sunday 11th March. A meal for the children will be provided. There is no charge for children with Down Syndrome or anyone under three. The cost for older siblings will be £3 each.
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The Down Syndrome Extra 21 Christmas Party On Sunday December 4th, from 2.30 - 5.30 At Shenfield Parish Hall After the success of last year’s traditional Christmas party, we are inviting all our members to come and join us for an afternoon of Christmas fun, food and entertainment.
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There will be something to do for all age groups: the afternoon will kick off with some musical entertainment especially for our youngest members. Clay Cottage will be there with Christmas Baubles and other ornaments for the kids to decorate. There will be some stalls selling crafts and Christmas food, while the children will also be able to decorate their own gingerbread men/ladies. Food and drink will be on offer for all age groups, and later on Father Christmas will put in an appearance. We will be singing some Christmas carols with musical accompaniment, and the afternoon will finish with a bit of disco dancing for the older kids and those young at heart.
Go karting time again The date for our traditional six hour endurance Kart race at the superb Buckmore Park site in Kent in 2012 is
Saturday 5th May. The go karting is our most successful fundraiser, raising in excess of £20 000 a year for the charity. Karts cost £400 per team, which is significantly less than the normal price for this event, and this is Buckmore Park’s donation to the charity. A £50 deposit will secure a kart and all we ask is that you aim to raise a minimum of £250 in sponsorship. This can be in the form of Bid for Grid, buying laps during the race or just a donation.
There will be no charge to come and join us for the Christmas Party, however, Father Christmas will only have a present for your child with DS, so please bring something for their siblings along, too. Also, to help with catering we will need to know by the end of November how many people are coming. Please ring Deidre on 01277 365618 or or email downsyndromee21@aol.com to let her know.
A small deposit of £50 per kart is needed to reserve a place. For more information or to book your team’s place contact Paul Smith on 01702 307299 or 07802 292800 or by e-mail at paulsmith32@aol.com . Don’t delay if interested as places are going quickly and are often sold out by the end of March. 3
What’s on . . . What’s on . . . What’s on . .
Panto time Spoilt for choice - this year you Down Syndrome Extra 21 families will have the opportunity to see not one, but two pantomime performances. As ever, we are offering subsidised tickets to our members, but places are strictly limited so if you haven’t booked yet make sure to get in touch as soon as possible. The two performances you can see are:
Cinderella at the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch – matinee performance on Saturday 14th January tickets are £13 for adults, £7 for children Booking forms have already gone out, but if you didn’t get one or haven’t reserved tickets, ring Deidre Clement on 01277 - 365618 to check availability.
Aladdin at Cliffs Pavillion, Southend - matinee performance on Saturday 31st December, tickets are £15 for adults, £9 for children.
Don’t they look fantastic?
Awareness Jewellery AWARE IT WELL has been set up so you can personally contribute spreading the word for Down Syndrome by having your very own hand made awareness jewellery. Why not make a personal tribute to a loved one with some of our personalised jewellery. This range is designed for your individual needs making your item unique to you. If you are thinking of organising a fundraising event, selling awareness jewellery is a great way to raise money. A discount will be offered when you spend £200 or more in one transaction. With a wide range of women's, men’s and children’s awareness jewellery, Aware It Well has the perfect gift for everyone.
Chelmsford Mencap Youth Club had a visit from an Asian friend who not only showed them some traditional henna painting, but also brought a selection of traditional garments for the young people to try on. Funnily enough, the boys were initially more eager to don a shalwar kameez than the girls to be helped into a sari. Eventually most young people did dress up and looked brilliant in some gorgeous clothes.
Please contact Dawn on awareitwell@sky.com or for a full list of products visit: www.facebook.com/awareitwell 4
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To hug or not to hug
a staff member of the A thought that crossed my mind was a discussion several opposite sex, or a years ago at a meeting stranger? attended by physicians and others who serve people with Now I don’t pretend that hugging Down syndrome. The participants was the sole driving force behind were from all over the world. his wonderful life. However, it During one part of the meeting, certainly was an important piece the attendees had the opportunity to have people in his life that to present the case of a person cared for him and madesure he with Down syndrome that they knew it. were caring for. The audience asked questions, gave suggestions, I also reflected on a recent etc. conversation we had in the office. It was around the issue of the staff During one presentation, a at the Adult Down Syndrome physician discussed a person with Center hugging patients. Patients Down syndrome who was having reach out to us for support and some behavioral challenges. An understanding and many people older physician (I vaguely with Down syndrome tend to be remember that he was from naturally physically affectionate. somewhere in Europe) asked the After a tough blood draw, a presenter if the person with Down discussion about health issues that syndrome had people in his life may be challenging, or even just who hugged him. the struggle of coming to the The physician who asked the office, many patients reach out to question had a pretty thick accent us for a hug. and there were clearly some in the Unfortunately, many of our audience who questioned whether patients are not good at he understood the presentation. I deciphering who is appropriate to have to admit, that for a brief hug and who is not. If I can hug moment, I was one of those the doctor, how come I can’t hug people. However, I quickly realized the butcher, a staff member of the as did many others, that this older, opposite sex, or a stranger? These wiser gentleman understood very are questions families and the staff well. In fact, the presenter replied (of group homes, day programs, that he thought the person with schools, etc) are trying to help Down syndrome probably didn’t people with Down syndrome have anyone in his life who understand. hugged him.
Unfortunately, in this day and age, the realistic concern about sexual abuse is high. Equally unfortunate, as noted above, many people with Down syndrome have difficulty discriminating between appropriate and inappropriate people to hug. Often the solution is that no one but family can hug the person. For those with families, there is still a significant loss of support for the person with Down syndrome who best expresses and receives that support with a hug. For those without families, there may be no hugs at all. When this topic is addressed, sometimes the audience will respond just as I did initially to the physician who asked the question about hugging - perhaps there is a miscommunication. Could this really be an important subject? Why are we discussing this?
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I attended the As my mind came back, today, to funeral of a the funeral service, I reflected on patient today. I the deceased’s life. He clearly had looked around at people in his life who hugged him. all the people in Many probably only figuratively the church: his but others clearly literally hugged family, friends, people from where him. He really lived a good life. he lived for more than 30 years, people from the nursing If I can hug the home that was home for several months before he doctor, how come I died, an incredibly supportive can’t hug the butcher, church community, and others.
Emotional support of each other is clearly an important topic and certainly no less so for people with Down syndrome. Unfortunately, we also must discuss sexual abuse because it does happen. How do we find a healthy balance? I haven’t been able to find much research on the subject and have gotten bogged down in finding a way to study it in a meaningful way. I certainly am curious as to how others have thought about this subject and what they have read. Any thoughts?
If you see something you feel may be of interest to us on Facebook, Twitter or in any other media please let Sabine Nussey know details.
The above article is taken from the Facebook page of the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic https://www.facebook.com/notes/adult-down-syndrome- clinic/hugging/10150260265919589 5
The Politics of Down Syndrome A topical and current book, written by Kieron Smith, father to Tanzie who is 6 years old and has Down syndrome, this book looks at ‘hot topics’ that are regularly discussed in the media but rarely in any depth, including: • how society views people with Down syndrome and how this has changed over the last century - antenatal testing and the implications of the developments in non-invasive testing procedures • education of children with Down syndrome • inclusion • Down syndrome a cultural perspective All royalties from the sale of the book are to be donated to Down Syndrome Education International, who continue to undertake vital research into the education of children with Down syndrome, benefitting families across the UK and worldwide (http://www.dseinternational.org/ en/gb/) Available from all good bookshops including: The Book Depository (Free shipping worldwide) and Amazon UK ISBN: 978-1-84694-613- Price: £ 9.99
by Sharon Smith
Six years ago, my husband Kieron and I had a beautiful baby girl, Tanzie, who has Down syndrome. When Tanzie was diagnosed with Down syndrome my husband wanted to read as much as possible, to increase his knowledge on a subject we knew nothing about, to ensure that we could do the very best by her throughout her life. There were many books available, but we found that most were looking at the practical issues surrounding the condition, but very little discussing how society views the condition, or how that has changed over time. This was something that was of personal interest to my husband but he could not find a current and topical book to read that addressed these areas. Last April, we were in the audience at a Frankie Boyle show - you may well have read about it at the time - after a series of jokes about Down syndrome, all reinforcing incorrect and out of date stereotypes about people with Down syndrome, Kieron turned to me and asked me if I wanted to leave. Frankie Boyle noticed, stopped his show and came over to ask us (in front of thousands of
people) what we were talking about. I simply told him that our daughter has Down syndrome, which was followed by a very uncomfortable moment, and then the next day I wrote a blog about it. The blog was picked up by the press and our story spread around the world! As a result of this furore my husband again started to think about how society sees Down syndrome, and it prompted him to start to write the book that we felt was missing six years previously. [….] We are keen to spread the word about the book as much as possible, to get the issues and current politics around our children’s lives being discussed by parents and professionals alike. We are personally not profiting from sales of the book, all proceeds from sales are being donated directly to Down Syndrome Education International, who continue to undertake vital research into the education of children with Down syndrome, benefiting families across the UK and worldwide (http://www.dseinternational.org/ en/gb/)
Transition . . . . Leaving school and moving into adult life can be an exciting and challenging time for young people and their parents, with lots of changes and choices to be made about the future. For young people with Down Syndrome or any other learning disability transition into adulthood is often much more complicated and hardly ever a smooth process. To help them and their families survive this difficult and critical time, Mencap have put together a comprehensive guide which offers advice and information for parents and carers about the transition process and how to make sure you are
able to make successful and positive plans for the future. Throughout the guide there are links to other useful organisations and websites, as well as advice and tips from parents who have already been through the transition process. There is also information on action you can take – look for the “what next?” sign for things you can do. You can download the transition guide free from Mencap’s website on http://www.mencap.org.uk/node/6071 6
Living Independently Are you confused about what benefits you are entitled to and how to apply for them? How to apply for Direct Payments or your Personal Budget? The national disability charity, United Response, is launching a new free guide today to help people with learning disabilities, who want to live more independently, make financial decisions about their future. The new edition of the easy read Moving on and Planning Ahead guide is fully updated and includes sections on getting and managing Direct Payments, employing a personal assistant and benefit entitlement. There is also upto-date information on the new Employment Support Allowance (ESA). The guide is part of the Making Money Easier series – a set of resources which aim to support people with learning disabilities to make informed decisions, by presenting financial information in a simple and straightforward way. Diane Lightfoot, Director of Communications at United Response, said: "As funding mechanisms such as direct payments are making it possible for people with learning disabilities to manage their own support for the first time, it is becoming ever more important for people to have access to easy to understand financial information." To download a copy of Moving on and Planning Ahead, please go to http://moving-on.making-money-easier.info/ On the Making Money Easier website there is also information on banking, renting a flat and insurance. All are presented in an easy-to-read format.
Educational support packs The Down’s Syndrome Association has just published an updated version of their Education Support Packs for schools, both primary and secondary. The packs provide a new comprehensive range of practical advice, information and materials for any front line education professional who is including, or planning to include a pupil with Down's syndrome in mainstream primary school. To order a hard copy of the pack for either Primary or Secondary Education (which is accompanied with the updated version of the Education Support CD Rom for Schools) and costs £35, go to http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/component/content/article/27education/402-education-support-pack-mainstream-primary-andsecondary.html http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/component/content/article/27education/838-education-support-pack-for-schools-secondary.html
All about me booklet The "All About Me Booklet" is designed to help parents introduce their child with Down syndrome to their teachers. This 12 page booklet helps teachers better understand the child’s likes/dislikes, their communication needs, strengths and learning needs. This booklet was designed by the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City and it is free to download at: http://www.kcdsg.org/files/content/All%20About%20Me%20Booklet.pdf 7
Have you heard about the 16-19 Bursary? Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) has been replaced by the 16-19 Bursary. A young person with Down’s syndrome will receive a Bursary of £1,200 a year, if they are: • aged 16 to 19 • in full time education • receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). • If they get ESA and DLA, they count as being in one of the “vulnerable groups” with a guaranteed bursary. Note that, unlike EMA, there is no household means-test. There are also discretionary bursaries for students facing financial difficulties. Schools and colleges are responsible for identifying students who are in the “vulnerable groups”. They will decide if someone is on a full time course. They are also responsible for administering the bursary. If your child meets the qualifying conditions and you have not already been notified by their school or college, please get in touch with them. As it is a new scheme, there may be teething problems. If you are experiencing any difficulties, the DSA benefits advisers, Christina Katic or Helen Wild will be able to help. You can contact them on 0845 230 0372.
If you unsure of what benefits are available to people with Down's syndrome from 16 onwards you can download the DSA’s guide from their website http://www.downssyndrome.org.uk/resources/ publications/benefits.html
Another successful Firebreak Maldon Fire Station was the venue for the third Firebreak Course, which DS Extra 21 runs in conjunction with Essex Fire and Rescue Service. For the first time members over the age of 18 were invited to apply, and places were snapped up quickly. The course, which is a modified version of the Fireservice’s successful Firebreak scheme, taught the young adults some of the skills and disciplines needed to become a firefighter. The aim is to assist in improving the youngsters' communication skills and to show them how to work in teams and problem solve along the way, giving them new confidence and motivation. As before, the course was organised and lead by Youth Development Manager Donna Finch and her team of instructors. Donna said: “The course has been a lot of hard work for all the instructors but it has been a really worthwhile. The young adults taking part were an inspiration to all of us. “They gave 100% all week long and I am so proud of all of them. They lacked nothing for bravery and determination and working with them this week has been an amazing experience for all of us.” Families and friends were invited to the traditional passing out ceremony on Thursday 14th April at Maldon Fire Station. Before the presentation, the group showed off all the new skills they had learnt over the past four days. The odd tear was definitely shed when one by one the youngsters proudly stepped up to receive their certificates.
This is the third Firebreak course which ECFRS have held with Down Syndrome Extra 21. The service has recently received a national award recognising initiatives which have achieved astounding results in fire services the length and breadth of the UK scooping the Fire Safety Education award at the Emergency Service awards, which took place in the Emirates Stadium in Arsenal, London on Thursday April 7. ADO Vernon Kendall said: “All of the team enjoy holding the Down’s Syndrome Firebreaks, we get a lot from the course and we can see that the young people taking part also take a great deal away from the course. “We are all proud of the work we have done with Down Syndrome Extra 21 and winning this award is something else we are proud of. “For us the real reward is seeing how much the attendees gain from the course, but it is fantastic to receive national recognition like this.” Deputy Chief Fire Officer Gordon Hunter said: “This is another example of what Essex County Fire and Rescue Service can achieve, it is a constructive course and for those taking part it has been a positive life changing experience. “This award recognises the hard work of Donna Finch, her fellow instructors and the entire youth development team.” (Taken from http://www.essexfire.gov.uk/pages/index.asp?area=4&id=584) We are pleased to announce that Essex Fire and Rescue Service have agreed to run another Firebreak Course for Extra 21 next year. It will take place from 2nd the 5th April 2012, the venue will be confirmed shortly. This course will again for those of our members who are 18 and over. Places are always in high demand, so please send booking forms back as soon as possible to avoid disappointment
Ben Garwood - Young Fire Fighters Course 2011 give advice!). As Ben is still unable to read well, we devised a picture sheet, to prompt him to ask the relevant questions. He used ticks and crosses for the answer, and we helped him to fill in the details later. They also learnt and practiced basic first aid.
A cold November evening saw Ben nervously start out on the 2011 Young Fire Fighters course, run by the Essex Fire Brigade at Baddow Fire Station. Over the next 18 weeks Ben took part fully in all the activities undertaken by the group of 18 teenagers. It took the whole group some weeks to really work together, and perhaps it did take Ben longer to be fully engaged with the group, but many of them showed such kindness and support to Ben that the sessions were the highlight of his week. For the activities outside, Ben was left with the group, but for any talks or inside activities we stayed with him, to help him take part, and to reinforce the information given and make notes for him.
The course also awarded the teenagers the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award, and to fulfil this they learnt map reading, how to use a compass, and camping skills. At the end of the course, there were two walks and a camp overnight. As Ben was not yet fourteen, he was unable to do this part of the course, but we are hoping that he will take part in the award this year. We will be negotiating a modified walk, as Ben cannot walk far owing to having many operations on his feet as a child.
The activities the group were expected to learn ranged from giving commands during parade and using every part of the fire equipment to put out fires. In addition they also had to complete six fire safety visits in the houses of friends and family, checking safety details and giving advice (Ben loved to
We are so grateful for the support and kindness of all the Firemen and Donna at Headquarters, who made all this possible for Ben. If you get the chance to go on a Down Syndrome Extra 21 Fire Break course, do take it, you never know what it may lead to! 8
Ben Garwood 9
Laptop computer success In Spring DS Extra 21 provided free laptops for five children to use at school. Since then we had positive feedback from parents and schools alike, and have just received the first letter from one of our recipients, JaKe Kauter, who can be seen here with his new laptop.
Disability Solutions Joan Medlen, author of 'The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook', has made electronic copies of Disability Solutions available to visitors of her website http://downsyndromenutrition.co m/dsolns-intro.html
Jake’s mum wrote: I would just like to say a very BIG Thank you to everyone at Extra 21 for supporting my son's education and presenting him with a wonderful new laptop to use at school; Jake was thrilled to receive the
Joan writes: “This work represents 10 years of investigation, learning, and collaboration with many talented professionals and parents. The articles, are provided here with the same mission as originally intended: To do good for, and with, people with Down syndrome and related disabilities. Many of the topics are timeless and some are one-of-a-kind! laptop from Greg and was very eager to get working on it once back in class. I hope it will not be long before Jake submits his very own thank you email. Nicola Walton-Kauter
Other ways of speaking If you live or work with children and young people whose speech is difficult to understand or who have no speech, you can download this booklet free of charge from: http://www.hello.org.uk/resources/resources/resourcesfor-parents/other-ways-of-speaking.aspx Audience: Early Years professionals, Primary professionals, Secondary professionals, parents. This booklet provides information about children and young people who use a variety of different ways to communicate, how you can help support them and where to go for further information. The booklet was developed with Communication Matters, 1Voice, ACE Centre, ACE Centre North, The Makaton Charity, Signalong and Scope. The booklet can be found on the Hello campaign website, which itself offer some good advice to parents and professionals who want to support their children’s speech and language development. Hello is being run by The Communication Trust, a coalition of over 35 leading voluntary sector organisations with expertise in speech, language and communication.The Communication Trust raises awareness of speech, language and communication issues amongst everyone that works with children and young people. It was founded by Afasic, BT, Council for Disabled Children and I CAN. 10
The work related creating, editing, and publishing Disability Solutions was key to my growth as a professional and, more importantly, as a Mother. Every issue touched my family directly, and still do. I hope they will continue to inspire you as well.'
Useful download UK Personal Child Health Record For Babies Born With Down's syndrome - June 2011 Version - now free to download at: http://shop.healthforallchildren. co.uk/pro.epl?DO=IMAGE&WAY =NOCACHE&ID=Downs_Insert These pages are extra pages for a baby’s Personal Child Health Record Book (PCHR) which is issued to all new babies in the UK. These extra pages have been produced by the UK Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group (DSMIG UK) and are for babies who are born with Down syndrome. They give additional information which will help you maintain the health and well being of your child. They include special growth charts for boys and girls with Down syndrome.
Let’s get
active! by John Talbot Over thirty families met at the Stubbers Activity Centre, Upminster on Sunday 3rd July for a day of exciting, challenging activities and to hold the Charity's Annual General Meeting. The day began with the DSA Extra 21 Chair, Greg Stuttle giving a summary of the last years events, which included information days, discos, the annual ball, Firebreak courses, Christmas parties, fund raising go-karting, family trips out to the zoo and pantomime, the adventure park at Southend and a host of other activities aimed at supporting people with Down Syndrome and their families. Greg gave a look ahead to next year’s proposed events and particularly asked for support and assistance from members to help in the organising of events or to take on an event themselves. The Treasurer, Andrew Clement gave a summary of the the financial position of the Charity, covering the fantastic fund raising of the gokarting and some proposed expenditure on an up dated web site, which will still leave the Charity with an healthy surplus. There was a quick election of committee officers , and although new members are always welcome to join the committee none volunteered this time. Then it was time for the serious business of the day: an excellent buffet lunch and the activities. For the younger ones a playground, ball pond and inflatable clown obstacle course were available, giving some of the newer families an opportunity to meet each other and their children a chance to play together.
For the older ones there was bell boat rides (like a large canoe) and tasks to perform whilst out on the water, and then rock climbing up the 15 metre climbing wall. The activities were led by Stubbers staff who encouraged everyone to take part and try activities they may not have tried before. The weather was perfect and the day ended with everyone happy but tired. 11
Did you enjoy this year's activity day at Stubbers? Would you like to try out some new activities or have another go at something you particularly enjoyed? We're planning another Family Fun Day at the Centre in September next year, so watch this space.
News from.... Anderley Chester-Helyar Anderley Chester-Helyar left primary school in July to go to BIG school!! During the summer she took part in a holiday scheme at the local stage school Bedazzle where everybody ensured that Anderely was fully included and took a full and active part (without any extra support worker!!) . A truly inclusive Art Group, which her Mum recommends highly.
On September 7th she started at Stansted Mountfitchet Mainstream secondary school.
Christina Gates Christina Gates entered her first horse riding competition in St Albans in the summer. She came fifth out of 12 in the Countryside Challenge and 3rd out of 8 in the Dressage. Well done Christina.
Charlotte Bissell Charlotte Bissell and her parents had a fabulous summer holiday in Tunisia. As you can see, Charlotte very much enjoyed directing the water aerobics!
Hannah, Michael and Daniel Hannah. Michael and Daniel had front row seats at the Olly Murrs concert in Southend’s Cliffs Pavillion. As soon as the music started they were up from their seats and dancing away. A great night out!
Niamh Fewer Niamh Fewer on a day out in Epping Forest.
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News from.... Ellie Goldstein Our daughter Ellie (9) started riding lessons this February at Chigwell Riding Trust for Special Needs. She really took to it so well and is very enthusiastic and happy in every lesson. After only her third lesson she achieved a 'rising trot' which is very difficult and we were absolutely amazed and proud, as were the riding school. Since then she has come on leaps and bounds. Her primary school have now put her on the Gifted and Talented Register for her achievement and encourage and support her interest in riding. This not only gives her great confidence but enables her to talk and write about her skill. Yvonne and Mark Goldstein
Sam Talbot Sam Talbot attanded the Queens Theatre Hornchurch on Thursday 5th May 2011 to recieve a Jack Petchey Award. The staff at Crossroads Saturday Youth Club put Sam's name forward for encouraging others , organising singing, dancing and acting sessions and generally being a really active member of the club. The Award night was Thursday 05.05.11 at the Queens Theatre. It was a great night with lots of young people from clubs and groups from all over Essex and East London getting awards, there was entertainment from young peoples local dance groups and singers. The awards were presented by Danny Crates, Danny was a keen rugby player who about 10 years ago lost his arm in a car accident whilst he was on holiday in Australia. Through hard work and dedication he went back to playing rugby but eventually started running and went on to become the British , European and World 800m paraplegic champion, world record holder and Olympic gold medal winner. He gave a truly inspirational speech !!!
Adam Smith
Adam Smith enjoyed a fantastic summer holiday with his family in Lanzarote. Here he is with his older brother Dominic and his little sister Becky.
Luke Weeks
Paragliding, speedboat racing, dancing . . . Luke Weeks enjoyed an action packed summer holiday with his family in Tunisia.
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Christina and the Foxes Academy There had never been any plan, or even thoughts, about Christina going to a residential college but, when we realised that our intended retirement move (my retirement, not Sonya’s!) to the West Country was going to create a difficulty with Christina’s ongoing education I brought this subject up at her annual educational/social review in March last year. My retirement is now imminent and the plan is (house sale permitting!) for us to move this autumn or early winter. However, Christina would still have a year left of her transition period at the Edith Borthwick School. I feel that this is a very crucial period in her education and development and it was important that the move (and, very significantly, all the uncertainties around timing, etc) should not prevent her getting the best opportunities to retain that possible. At the review someone mentioned the possibility of residential education and, luckily, just that morning the transitions officer
at the school had something land on her desk about a Foxes Academy in Minehead, Somerset, which offered a residential course in catering and hospitality – the work that Christina had most expressed an interest in. When I got home I looked up Foxes on the web and then rang
by Michael Gates the college. Fortuitously, they had a presentation day for intake for the year ahead (ie this year) due within a couple of weeks of my call and so we booked to attend. Their initial assessment was that Christina fitted the overall profile of students acceptable to the college (seemingly not too capable but sufficiently capable of developing towards independent living and working) and Christina was invited back to an assessment day in early July. Foxes is an amazing establishment, one that many people have seen featured on a TV programme several years ago. It is situated in a beautiful Victorian building on the seafront and is run as a working hotel to enable young people with significant learning difficulties to train in the hotel industry (cooking, waiting on tables, cleaning, laundry etc). It has a three year programme of learning, with around 75 students supported by around 100 staff. The students live in 8 residential houses close to the college and are taught to look after their own accommodation, in a social environment, and themselves as well as training at the college. Indeed, Foxes state that ‘every experience is seen as a learning opportunity from the moment you wake up in the morning until the 14
moment that you go to bed’. Christina’s education in the basic subjects would continue alongside the work related training and she would have a personalised and negotiated educational programme that will fit with her needs in all respects, including social and personal development. The amazing thing is that transition from the college starts, as a subject. from the day that they commence there and everything is geared to providing the best future possible. However, back to Christina’s application. We attended the assessment day with some trepidation. Would Christina let go and take part in the assessment (she had been very withdrawn when we attended the presentation day)? Would they find her too capable - or insufficiently responsive? Our first relief was when, on being asked with the other three young participants, to go with one of the
staff to take part in the assessment, she removed herself from my armpit and readily went off with the others. We were provided ourselves with ‘homework’ – forms to fill in on our own assessments of our offspring, and had accepted an invitation to a barbeque that the young people were going to have on the front lawn at lunch time. It was exhilarating to see that, on her table, Christina had become the life and sole of her group, participating with totally open arms the opportunity presenting itself to her.
very positive and committed Connexions officer behind Christina and, as things developed and Social Workers were appointed (we had the added problem of Christina moving from the children’s team to adult team before conclusion of the affair) they also very strongly
At the end of the day the immediate feedback that we got seemed to strongly indicate that Christina would be offered a place (although Sonya was a little less sure of this than I) and we then had the terrible wait for final confirmation that it would happen. When this confirmation did come through we still, though, had the hurdle of funding for the very significant cost of her attendance to achieve.
supported her case. However, it took around twelve months for this process to be completed and during that time we couldn’t at any stage say ‘Yes, this is going to happen’. That made it particularly difficult to prepare Christina for going and yet not leave her too open to huge disappointment if it did not work out.
We were very fortunate to have a
Thankfully, Christina has now secured her place, funding included, and will be starting there
on 10th September. We recognise that we have been incredibly fortunate in finding and securing this opportunity for her and it has opened possibilities for her future that we had hoped for but, until now, had never seen a pathway to. It is obvious that this course would not suit everyone, but if it could I would highly recommend it. The contact there is the vice principal, Larraine Atkins, telephone number 01643 708529 or e-mail lorraineatkins@foxesacademy.ac.uk Their website is www.foxesacademy.ac.uk. On a more personal note, with Christina’s departure to Foxes and our impending departure to live in the West Country, we are going to have to say a sad goodbye to Down Syndrome Extra 21. This has been a part of our life for the last 15 or more years and the support and social connection has been an important part of our lives. Christina has particularly benefited from being part of Dance 21 and the only shame was that she was too shy to take part from its start. It has been an amazing journey and we thank everyone and wish you all well for the future. And, if you are down in the West Country at any time you will know where to find us (well, that is when we find out for ourselves!).
Another disabled water polo club is born After the success of Chelmsford Swimming Club’s first disabled water polo club in Britain, which used to run on Saturdays at Moulsham High School in Chelmsford, a new club is starting up at Appleton School in Benfleet in the new year.
The concept was born after one of the Chelmsford Water Polo coaches had a serious work accident and saw that people with disabilities had no pathway route on to water polo or team sport in minor sports in the area. With the help of sportessex, Chelmsford Borough Council and Essex ASA funding, and the determination of Essex Inclusive Sporting Enterprise (EISE), the Dolphins Water Polo Club was set up. Unfortunately the funding for the Chelmsford club has dried up, but Runnymede Swimming Club in Benfleet is starting a Water Polo group for young people with learning disabilities. Sessions will be on Wednesday night from 8.00 – 9.00 pm, starting 11th January for 8 weeks, and the cost is £15 for all of the sessions. If you would like to come along and try out this new sport, please ring Maria Neary 07786 244565 or email: runnymedeswimmingclub@gmail.com 15
G al The Team
The Hammers being led out by Danny Mardell
Kevin Kilbane with the team
In action against the Charlton team
Quite a crowd
Under sunny skies at Fulham Football Club’s Training Ground in Motspur Park, nine DSActive football teams from across the UK came together for the Premier League’s Down’s Syndrome Football Festival on Sunday 20th March. The festival was made possible thanks to a donation of £19,333 from the Premier League and Football Aid benefitting the Down’s A proud ‘Hammer’ Syndrome Association (DSA). DSA Patron and professional footballer, Kevin Kilbane added his full Adam is pleased with his medal support by taking part in the warm up and cheering from the touchline whilst the games were underway.
After the tournament - Mark . . 16
. . and Charlotte
Goal..Goal..Goal Players aged 12 and under took part in a series of fun games, testing out their ball-control, passing, dribbling and shooting skills. The over 13s took part in a round robin tournament, each playing six games lasting eight minutes each. The tournament was split into two groups; League 1 (Fulham Badgers, QPR Tiger Cubs, Charlton Upbeats and West ham DS Hammers) and League 2 (Ipswich Town FC Trust DS Team, Hull Tigers Trust DS Team, Cardiff City DS Bluebirds and Harvesters FC DSActive). League 1 saw some fantastic battles with the Charlton Upbeats emerging victorious following an unprecedented six wins from six matches. League 2 was more fiercely contested, with the destination of the winners’ trophy resting undecided until the final game, in which a defeat for Harvesters at the hands of Ipswich sealed victory for Cardiff, who recovered well after a slow start, by a margin of just one point. DSA patron and professional footballer Kevin Kilbane, a former representative of several Premier League clubs and holder of over 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland, reflected: “Numerous teams have joined since the launch of the Fulham Badgers in 2006 and now DSActive is benefiting people with Down’s syndrome through football. Today’s festival, I hope, is the first of many. The DSA has
been great to my family amongst many families. It has been wonderful to come down and support the event.” Simon Morgan of the Premier League hopes that the festival will have served as a catalyst to get more people with Down’s syndrome playing football: “As part of the Premier League’s Creating Chances programme, we’ve been involved with the Down’s Syndrome Association for a while. Fulham have a Down’s syndrome team and I was involved in setting that up when I worked at the club and it’s grown so quickly. It’s a perfect scheme for the Premier League to be involved with. Days like this make a really positive difference to people with Down’s syndrome. They need the opportunity to participate in football and lead a more active lifestyle. It also gives the players parents the opportunity to come together and share their experiences. We’ve seen over the years through Fulham’s involvement that it’s been of a real benefit to the children with Down’s syndrome.
Stanley Hall revisited Tchaikovsky’s tragic opera ‘Eugene Onegin’ was on the programme for our visit to Stanley Hall Opera in June. As every year we took part in a fantastic workshop, shared with our friends from Fordham Primary, introducing us to the plot and the music of the opera. This was followed by a picnic in the picnic tent, before taking our seats to watch the dress rehearsal. After the performance some of singers again very kindly came out to talk to our group and pose for some photos.
Waining for the performance to start
You can read the complete article about the Football tournament on the DS Active website on http://www.dsactive.org/news/pre mier-league%E2%80%99sdown%E2%80%99s-syndromefootball-festival/
Childcare for children and young people with disabilities
Just wait for the drums!
Essex County Council have produced a new information booklet and a DVD for families and practitioners to support parents who require childcare for their child with disabilities. The booklet includes information on different types of childcare, Ofsted registration and financial support to help pay for childcare and the additional support that is available to families with children with additional needs or disabilities. It is broken down into age groups, to make it easier for parents to find the section that is relevant to them. The DVD includes stories from families who currently use Childcare and Children’s Centre Services. Both the information booklet and the DVD are available free to parents who have a child aged 0 - 19 with an additional need or a disability. Please call the Family Information Service (FIS) on 0800 055 6874 to request a free copy or download from http://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Early-YearsChildcare/Documents/Additional%20needs%20booklet.pdf 17
Olga and Tatjana, the two main female roles, pose with our group
Racing to a record
Donations Thank you very much to the following companies and individuals who have made donations to the charity. Your continuing support is very much appreciated, and all funds raised will benefit children and adults with Down Syndrome and their families. Waitrose Ltd, Buckhurst Hill (seee photo below)
£271
Five Lakes Golf Club (thanks to Mr C Jenner who chose us as his charity for his Captain's year)
£600
Mr & Mrs Garwood
£52
Mrs C A Francis
£10
Southend Charity Football
£700
Beatrice Sturman - sponsored silence
£55
Mrs A Sims - donations in memory of the late Mr J G Sims
£1939.15
RBS Staff Charity Fund
£1000
Mrs Sue Moore Mrs C Coughlan - donations in memory of the late Mrs Allix
£5
£275
The annual Charity fundraising Karting event took part on sunny Saturday the 7th May with another full house of teams vying for the top spot. Unlike last year the weather was dry and sunny and Buckmore Park had their fleet of brand new 390cc karts for us to use. A lot of the teams taking part this year have been before and knew our cunning plan to raise money on the day and came prepared to splash the cash. Bidding for grid position the teams spent £3,583 to make sure they had good positions with ‘The Scan Wings’ bidding £400 for pole position just edging ‘Stig of the Dump’ on £380 into 2nd place.
by Paul Smith
Revved up and ready for the off
After this racing settled down and the rest of the day went off without further incidents, however towards the end of the day the bidding war for top spot heated up and by the end 2 teams ended up sharing 1st place for the charity trophy as both had spent in excess of £2,200 to gain top spot, The 62 Bee Gees and Team Mansell were There’s always one who wants to crowned champions. go the wrong way! Over double the amount ever raised on the day before had been spent with £14,272 on the day itself. Notable contributors to this fantastic amount were: • Driving Miss Daisy who came 3rd after spending £625 on laps
Sam Talbot, on behalf of DSA Extra 21 collects a cheque of £271 from Clare Barry of Waitrose. The money was donated by the customers of Waitrose at Buckhurst Hill as part of the Community Matters scheme run by the company. A big thank you to everyone concerned
At the green light all karts managed to get away and round the top bend together but at the • McAlpinestars who spent over turn into the first hairpin bend £910 on laps to fall short of a there was a series of collisions with trophy in 4th spot. one kart being flipped onto its side • The Fuel Cells spending £760 on and tipping the unfortunate driver laps. from ‘London Hoists’ out of his kart. The race was stopped and the driver checked out who was fine and the race was restarted. A second red flag incident (also involving the kart from ‘London Hoists’ although a different driver this time) a few laps later meant the race was restarted for the 2nd time after only 10 minutes of racing such was the competitiveness of the Another tricky turn negotiated teams. 18
event • Pist’n Broke who spent £1040 on laps • Our only all female team who have been busily carrying out raffles and sponsored events at work to raise money for the event spent £ 840 on laps For the true racing results once again the team from Galliards excelled again in 1st place leading by an incredible 9 laps over the not so shoddy ‘Stig of the Dump’ and ‘The Purple Helmets’ in 3rd spot. Having collected in most of the money and knowing what is still to be submitted, we can confirm that this year’s event has managed to raise, in total, another record amount of a staggering £25,325 which is over £5000 more than last years . On behalf of the Committee and all our members a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who took part and their sponsors to help raise such a fantastic amount once again. . . . . . and the winners are:
c2c turns lost property into cash for charity National Express train operator c2c has donated over £3,000 to the local Essex based charity ‘Down Syndrome Extra 21’. The fundraising was spearheaded by c2c’s lost property office manager June Carpenter, by holding auctions of old and unclaimed lost property. Through holding the auctions, c2c raised at first £1,900, then a further £1,218 at a subsequent auction. All of the items in the auction had been in the lost property office for more than 3 months and remained unclaimed. The auction included a wide range of items from laptops, cameras, mobile phones and computers games, to a children’s rocking horse. The most common items to be handed in to the lost property office are scarves, gloves and coats. Julian Drury Managing Director of c2c said: “As well as working to provide our customers in south Essex and east London with the
best service possible, we are always seeking out new ways in which we can help the local community. June has been instrumental in ensuring that no old, unclaimed lost property goes to waste and has done much to help local charities through her efforts. We are pleased that ‘Down Syndrome Extra 21’ is the latest charity to benefit from her hard work.” […..] The above is an excerpt from an article that appeared on the Rail&co ewebsite on http://www.rail.co/2011/07/21/c2cturns-lost-property-into-cash-forcharity
100 Club Winners Team Mansell - joint race winners
Bee Gees - joint race winners
February
July
1st Andrew Clement 2nd Chris Goodey & Linda Jordan 3rd Andrew Pike
1st Clare Coughlan 2nd Chris Goodey & Linda Jordan 3rd George Willy
March
August
1st John Corrigan 2nd Andrew Clement 3rd John & Cathy Beech
1st Andrew Clement 2nd Mr C. Coughlan 3rd Teresa Bauman
April
September
1st Peter Schultz 2nd Marie Little 3rd Alison Smith
1st Elissa Alvarez 2nd Alison Smith 3rd L. Buck
May
October
1st Andrew Clement 2nd Teresa Bauman 3rd Mr D. Wrench
1st George Willy 2nd Carolyn McGuinness 3rd Elissa Alvarez
June
November
1st Clare Coughlan 2nd Mr L. Buck 3rd James Hobbs
1st Maria Little 2nd Carol Windsor 3rd Russell Hart
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I CAN Help Enquiry Service Speech and Language Therapist Call-Back Service
DISCO
time
Concerned about a child’s talking, listening and understanding? Are you looking for more information about speech, language and communication? I CAN has launched a new service to provide expert information to parents and practitioners about speech, language and communication. Our speech and language therapists can help whether you would like to check communication milestones or find out how to support a child with a known speech, language and communication need. Call 020 7843 2544 to book your free and confidential call-back from a speech and language therapist or for an email response, email your enquiry to enquiries@ican.org.uk
What? Club Nights for adults with learning disabilities and their friends.
When? Every last Friday of the month, 7.30 – 11.00 pm
Where? The Triangle Club County Hall, Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1QH • Talk you through typical language development and direct you to additional support if you are concerned about a child’s speech, language and communication
• Provide information about speech and language development
As this service does not include meeting and assessing children, I CAN’S therapists are unable to provide specific advice about a child or the level of provision they should have.
• Suggest ideas and activities for developing speech language and communication skills
Call-back times will be booked at least two days ahead and the calls will last up to 30mins.
I CAN’s speech and language therapists can:
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How much? £5 per person
The Triangle club is accessed from the County Hall car park off Duke Street. There is a licensed bar. For tickets or information contact Claire Lucas - 07840 729649 or Robyn Norman - 07772 317893 The next dates are: Friday 25th November, and, Friday 30th December 2011 - A Special “New Years Eve” Disco from 7:30pm - 12:30am
A first for Jack Jack proudly displays his well-earned certificate
for members of the youth and voluntary sector to gain internationally recognised qualifications. The charity is accredited to deliver qualifications which have been selected to show the wide range of skills that young people, like Jack, and adults learn within their organisations, with the aim of providing them
Jack Bell is the first young person with Down's Syndrome to achieve a BTEC in Public Services qualification within the whole Sea Cadet Corps. He was supported by the educational charity CVQO , who adapted the research material, used for completing the written elements of the qualification, for his needs. Jack has since achieved the BTEC diploma, worth the equivalent of 4 GCSEs, through his activities with the local sea cadets unit and CVQO. CVQO provides the opportunity
Columbus School and College, we never really expected that he would be able to gain formal qualifications. But this is learning in a very practical way that suits him and there’s lots of help available. None of this would have happened or even been possible without the support of Jack’s P.A.” Jack has also completed his Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze and Silver Award, and enjoys canoeing and football, keenly supporting Liverpool. He says, “Sea Cadets has been a big part of my life since I was 12 years old, and I have so
Jack with proud mum Barbara Keeble with opportunities in both the workplace and higher education. Jack’s mum, Barbara, said, “We are all thrilled. Although Jack attends
many friends here. My Granddad helped in cadets and I know that he would be so proud of my achievement.”
Jack with 1st Lieutenant Tracey Temme
The newspaper article that appeared in the Maldon and Burnham Standard 21
Birthdays . . B Happy birthday to you,
Ben Sturman (15), Adam Smith (13), Rachel Nash (22), Robert Elford (26), Ruby-Anna Codiroli-Sparrow (12), Joshua Hicks (7), Alexander Eyklebosch (11), Maria Williams (22), Arran Milner Elstone (7), Daniel Sedgewick (19), Jusdeep Verdi (14) Giles Warr (19), Kenny Turrell (17).
happy birthday to you . . . Many happy returns to all the young people who have celebrated their birthday
September Emily Harvey (19), Mia Hales (8), Francesca Saffron (16), Alexander Owen (15), James Hamilton (23), Mark Baumann (20), Michael Torrens (12), Charlotte Coughlan (23), Louis Hewitt (20), Sydney Jane Clark (8), Noah White (12), Emily Copping (9), David Crisp (32), Frankie Lavery (21).
March Chloe Morrison-Greet (16), Rebecca Clinch (12), Leon Kent (12), Dominic Williams (6), Elliot Barnett (16), Freddie McConnell (12), Ryan Kershaw (21), Chloe Donovan (15), Lorieya-Jean Newill (10), Felicity Swift (14), Beth Corrigan (14), Elizabeth Melder (21).
October Sam Downing (18), Jack Griffin (15), Oliver Humphrey (4), Robbie Payne (21), Sam Lincoln (12), Elena Turner-Thorne (15), Francesca Goff (10), Hannah Pike (18), Natalie Herod (12), Emily Mckeeve (10), Louise Ginn (13), Rafael Benjamin (20), Ella Spicer (11), Ryan Crane (8), Oliver Buck (15), Anisa Afar (10), Gareth Bettis (21), Lucy Rowlings (20), Katie Beech (26), Zakaa Malik (18).
April Keira Mcallister (6), Charlotte Bissell (19), Harry Lush (10), Michael Truing (20), Benjamin Garwood (13), Ethan Patel (11), John Borakis (15), Christopher Kemp (29), Daniel Charles (19), Isabella Costello (10), Todd Andrews (4). May Conor Hickey (19), Chuckwo Jideonwo/Edun (8), Billy Swallow (15), Lauren Hilaire (14), Thomas Turral (22), Jack Denton (5), Anderley Chester-helyar (11), Thomas Hurley (21), Jack Bell (17), Sarah Kemp (19), Vicky Tadman (28), Oliver Jackson (15), Adam Noga (17), Rebecca Blakey (18) Ceri Wilson (18), Ashley Horide (12), Harry Catmull (17), George Hornsby (7), Jack Coleman-Pope (12),Cameron Smith (9). June Samantha Hayter (23), Hannah Coulson (5), Sam Talbot (18), Isabella Winstanley (8), Matthew Chapman (20), Katie Williams (12), Miss C Twinn (35), David Martin (22), Clara Chamberlain (10), Katie Roderick (10), Katie Bennett (9), Dominic Simpson (19), Daniel Stuttle (9), Clare Traynor (43), Perry Goldstone (20), Masharif Ahmed (13), Oliver Thompson (5). July Craig Readion (21), Adam Fisher (14), Thomas Lee (14), Nathan Turner (13), Rosemary Walker (7), Alexander Wrench ( 24), Mark Eve Leigh (10), Sofia Aarestad (5), Joanne Gribble (22), Matthew Cox-Vinell (20), Sarah Misiri (20), Luke Woolley (17), Thomas Kemp (5), Kylie Chambers (23), Harriet Smith (18), Mark Eve Leigh (11), Sofia Aarestad ( 6), Edward Madhavan (3), Joanne Gribble (23), Matthew Cox-Vinell (21), Sarah Misiri (21), Luke Woolley (17). August Christina Gates (18), Amy Flood (16), David Irele (14), Michael Palmer (15), Rosie Peacham (4), Joseph Taylor (21), Jennifer Smith (19), Daniel Nussey (21), 22
Chris Routledge Happy 22nd Birthday Chris for 28th February, 2011!! Have a great day! (photo shows Chris at his 21st Birthday where he had a very belated celebration in Nov 2010 at his fantastic Hoe Down party! (Many thanks also to all who came and made it such a fun time!) With much love from your family, Mum, Dad and Claire xxx
irthdays . . Ben Sturmant Ben, hope you had a Fab 15th birthday in DisneyLand and Harry Potter World, Love always Mum Dad and Beatrice xxx
Ben Garwood Happy 14th Birthday 2 Ben. We are so proud of you! With love from Mum, Dad and Tommy xx
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3
Luke Woolley Happy birthday to my very special son Luke. Have a really lovely day. We love you loads and loads, you’re so special to all of us. Love from Mum, Dad and three big sisters Kelly, Amy and Lauren. xxxx
Daniel Nussey Daniel celebrated his 21st birthday on 6th August with a great garden party. Lots of family and friends – and the new karaoke machine - made it a party to remember! Here he is dancing with his best friend Michael.
Craig Hitchings Happy 10th birthday Craig, from all your family"
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Conquering the great wall!
AGM an Activity Day - 3rd July 2011 Stubbers Activity Centre, Upminster
A rowing we will go!