Newsletter Issue 7
It’s the seventh issue of our newsletter! Don’t forget to sign up for full free access and updated relevant to your project.
The last few months have been hectic here at Learn and Thrive… and not least the last week! We started off in Kent, filming for our upcoming Online Safety series!
We spent three days filming - two with Traci from iVengers presenting alongside four fantastic volunteers - Blythe and Lois (pictured bottom left), and Maya and Alfie (pictured centre). The third day was spent with Lucy McLaren from DS Cheshire, who facilitated our group sessions. She was joined by Orla, Lucy, and Jessica (pictured right).
Then, Jo was joined by our long time friends at Tailfeather - you might remember then from our How To Be Healthy videos! With enormous thanks to the City Bridge Foundation, they went on a wonderful trip up to London to see Tower Bridge and explore it’s rich history.
An incredible day all round - with lots of joy and laughter!
Respectful Relationships
(Left to right) Varshali, Hannah, Jo, Alexandra, and Kirsty sit on chairs, all looking towards Alexandra, who is smiling.
We are so pleased with the Respectful Relationships series, released in the Learning for Life project in April. This series is the first of it’s kind, fully co-presented with members of the Down’s syndrome community (including Alexandra, second from right in image). We’ve also included ‘classroom sessions’, where a group from Down’s Syndrome Scotland discuss the key topics from each of our videos.
The feedback so far has been incredible, and as a result, we will be including more of these classroom sessions and co-presented content in our upcoming series, Online Safety.
Make sure you’re signed up to Learning for Life for full free access, and learn more about the Respectful Relationships series here.
Dragon Boat Race 2025
Our Padel4Down’s team from the 2024 race, captured on the water mid row.
Our teams are ready to row!
We are less than 1 month away now from the event of the year, and we cannot wait to see our teams battle it out to beat their times from last year. Not only are we joined again by our fantastic corporate teams, but we also have a special visitor…
Teacher Tommy T! He will be captaining a boat this year, and there are seats up for grabs! Not only will the cost of your seats go directly to the fundraising pot, but the member of the team who fundraises the most will be the lucky winner and get to be in a Teacher Tommy T live on the day!
Don’t miss out! Secure your seat today via our shop!
Life Skills Unfiltered
Life Skills Unfiltered is all about bringing together experts, parents, specialists, and members of the SEND community to get real about the challenges the Down's syndrome and SEND community faces. Here, we go one step further, and discuss the changes that need to be made and the support which is available, accessible, and meaningful for real life skills.
It's about empowering others to be honest and raw about the hard stuff and lift each other up by sharing the knowledge on how to face it. We are helping you feel like you're not so alone.
Our newest episode features Tina Voizey and Sarah McPoland from Communication Matters, talking all things AAC. Watch the video here or listen on Spotify.
LAST FEW LEFT!
Final boxes of Growing Up and Keeping Safe packs and Maths Before Numbers cards available to purchase!
Get them while you can - this is the last set of printed resources we will be selling for the foreseeable…
Find all the details and order today by visiting the shop!
Girl using the Learning for Life ‘Growing Up and Keeping Safe’ pack, holding up the Widgit symbol for ‘public’.
Down's Syndrome Association
The DSA have their last few events before the summer coming up, and there are some new resources all about sepsis in people with Down’s syndrome.
Orla, Lucy, and Jessica posing during our classroom session filming!
Donors
A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, the A&O Shearman Foundation, and the Eveson Trust. These two funders have been instrumental in the creation of our Online Safety series, filmed this June.
Thanks to their support, we were able to spend three days filming, to include more young people with Down’s syndrome and a wider variety of content within our videos.
Thank you from the Learn and Thrive team, and all the incredible young people who were able to get involved, including Orla, Lucy, and Jessica! (Pictured left to right)