Personal stories from our members
‘I feel welcome, supported and seen’
Jenny and Xander
It’s so special to have a place where Xander can meet peers who also have Down’s Syndrome, and also how welcoming and non-judgemental everyone is. We all understand the struggles we as parents, and our family members with Down’s syndrome can face, and we all celebrate each other’s achievements too! I think having that kind of community feel is important.
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I was signposted to the charity in late 2020 during Covid through Rodney House, but it wasn’t until 2022 that we actually started attending as we were still unsure about Covid measures and also with having a newborn (Xander’s sister, Zenaida) we were still taking lots of extra precautions. Initially I had looked up the support group online to see what it was all about, and found the group on Facebook. So I asked about when the group sessions were, and went from there.
When we attended our first session, everyone was really accepting of us and really friendly. Nobody judged us for letting Xander literally run around the outer corridors for the whole time we were there. We wanted to take things at his pace, and do things he wanted, so that’s exactly what we did, chasing behind him the whole time.
Being part of the community has been such a positive experience. We’ve made use of the specialist speech and language therapy sessions. The therapists have been amazing with Xander. We make use of the sensory play room when Xander needs a quieter space, and now that he’s used to the space, he loves the soft play area too, as long as it’s not too busy with the older children when he first enters the room.
Sometimes just knowing how to ask for help or even knowing what help you need can be a barrier as it’s not always easy to know the right way to ask for help, but with the diverse community of members, and the lived experience of the staff team, there’s always someone to talk to and approach.
If I were to sum up how I feel when I think about Down’s Syndrome Manchester … I feel welcome, supported, and seen.
For the future of the charity, I’d like to see more of the same. There’s still so much to explore within the group, as Xander is still quite young, so we look forward to using more of the sessions available through the age groups as and when they are appropriate for Xander.
‘A special sense of community’
Anonymous parent
We first came to know about DSM when our son was born with Down’s syndrome in 2020, and we were informed of the charity (SMDSSG at the time) by our health visitor. We felt a bit overwhelmed and out of our comfort zone at first and didn’t quite know what to expect as we were still getting our heads round the diagnosis. We quickly learnt that DSM was going to be a network we needed to be part of.
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We regularly attend the Chatterbox events every month. We have learnt so much from conversations with parents and specialists regarding physical and learning development, guidance and techniques from trained speech therapists and formed lasting friendships with those experiencing the same.
We have attended training courses, raised money (with family and friends) for the charity through the Manchester 10K and worked alongside them through a work sabbatical initiative intended ‘to give a little back’ to society.
What’s so special about the charity is the sense of community that has been created, promoted and which it continues to provide.
We’d feel lost without Down’s Syndrome Manchester, in all honesty, like we are really on our own. Parenthood is a tricky enough journey, but without this specialist support network, our son, and our family would not be thriving as much as we are!
I feel proud, passionate and grateful to be a member.
For the future of the charity, I’d like to see this ever growing, strong Manchester community be recognised for the unique support they provide, that enables those with Down’s syndrome to thrive, lead an independent life and be respected as part of the community. I would also love to see the support continue for the families, carers, education providers as this network and community is vital.
‘A special sense of community’
Anonymous parent
We first came to know about DSM when our son was born with Down’s syndrome in 2020, and we were informed of the charity (SMDSSG at the time) by our health visitor. We felt a bit overwhelmed and out of our comfort zone at first and didn’t quite know what to expect as we were still getting our heads round the diagnosis. We quickly learnt that DSM was going to be a network we needed to be part of.
Read more
We regularly attend the Chatterbox events every month. We have learnt so much from conversations with parents and specialists regarding physical and learning development, guidance and techniques from trained speech therapists and formed lasting friendships with those experiencing the same.
We have attended training courses, raised money (with family and friends) for the charity through the Manchester 10K and worked alongside them through a work sabbatical initiative intended ‘to give a little back’ to society.
What’s so special about the charity is the sense of community that has been created, promoted and which it continues to provide.
We’d feel lost without Down’s Syndrome Manchester, in all honesty, like we are really on our own. Parenthood is a tricky enough journey, but without this specialist support network, our son, and our family would not be thriving as much as we are!
I feel proud, passionate and grateful to be a member.
For the future of the charity, I’d like to see this ever growing, strong Manchester community be recognised for the unique support they provide, that enables those with Down’s syndrome to thrive, lead an independent life and be respected as part of the community. I would also love to see the support continue for the families, carers, education providers as this network and community is vital.
‘I feel welcome, supported and seen’
Jenny and Xander
It’s so special to have a place where Xander can meet peers who also have Down’s Syndrome, and also how welcoming and non-judgemental everyone is. We all understand the struggles we as parents, and our family members with Down’s syndrome can face, and we all celebrate each other’s achievements too! I think having that kind of community feel is important.
Read more
I was signposted to the charity in late 2020 during Covid through Rodney House, but it wasn’t until 2022 that we actually started attending as we were still unsure about Covid measures and also with having a newborn (Xander’s sister, Zenaida) we were still taking lots of extra precautions. Initially I had looked up the support group online to see what it was all about, and found the group on Facebook. So I asked about when the group sessions were, and went from there.
When we attended our first session, everyone was really accepting of us and really friendly. Nobody judged us for letting Xander literally run around the outer corridors for the whole time we were there. We wanted to take things at his pace, and do things he wanted, so that’s exactly what we did, chasing behind him the whole time.
Being part of the community has been such a positive experience. We’ve made use of the specialist speech and language therapy sessions. The therapists have been amazing with Xander. We make use of the sensory play room when Xander needs a quieter space, and now that he’s used to the space, he loves the soft play area too, as long as it’s not too busy with the older children when he first enters the room.
Sometimes just knowing how to ask for help or even knowing what help you need can be a barrier as it’s not always easy to know the right way to ask for help, but with the diverse community of members, and the lived experience of the staff team, there’s always someone to talk to and approach.
If I were to sum up how I feel when I think about Down’s Syndrome Manchester … I feel welcome, supported, and seen.
For the future of the charity, I’d like to see more of the same. There’s still so much to explore within the group, as Xander is still quite young, so we look forward to using more of the sessions available through the age groups as and when they are appropriate for Xander.
We’d love to hear your stories! Please contact us to tell us how you found Down’s Syndrome Manchester and encourage others to reach out too.
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Down’s Syndrome Manchester is a charity, and we rely on the support of our community. Here are some ways you can show your support:
