What Website Updates Mean For You…

We’ve been closed for a few weeks now, and we want to keep you updated on the changes we are making and why...

Personal note from Jo, Co-Founder and CEO

Hi everyone,

Many of you already know me, but for those who don’t, I want to share a little of my story and why Learn and Thrive matters so deeply to me.

First and foremost, I am a mum. A mum to three wonderful children, one of whom has Down’s syndrome and is now 16. I know what it’s like to walk this path. We all travel it differently, but I understand the emotions, the frustrations, and the fears that come with raising a child with a learning disability.

My passion for the learning-disabled community has shaped my life. I am determined to empower our young people not simply to get by, but to thrive. I want them to be respected, valued, included, and safe. I believe risk is part of life, and by giving our young people the skills to seize opportunities, we can help them build full, meaningful, and joyful lives.

For the past 15 years, I’ve poured myself into this mission. I’ve learned everything I can about education and SEND, particularly the learning profile of those with Down’s syndrome. I’ve supported families, worked alongside professionals, co-founded a local support group, and now serve as a special school governor. I’ve seen the challenges from every angle — and I’ve also seen the joy, the pride, and the progress that remind us why this work matters.

So why am I sharing this with you now?

Because at Learn and Thrive, we’ve had to make some difficult decisions recently. Each one has been taken with the best interests of our children and young people at heart. These choices are about protecting the legacy of both Teach Me Too and Learning for Life — ensuring these vital resources will still be here for the next generation, and the one after that.

The world is changing, and so must we. But one thing will never change: our young people will always be at the centre of everything we do. That is the foundation of Learn and Thrive — and the promise we will always keep.

With warmth,
Jo
Co-Founder & CEO

What are the changes?

First up, our website. It needed some technical love with better tracking, smoother systems and a more user-friendly design. There are still some limits to how the member area works, but we hope you enjoy the refreshed look and know that everything behind the scenes is now running cleanly and fit for purpose.

The bigger change has been much harder. For the past four years, our dream has been to provide everything, both the video lessons and all the supporting resources, free of charge. And we have done just that. But the world around us has shifted.

Charitable giving has dropped across the sector, government support for charities has changed and global events have all affected the funding available to us. To protect what we have built and keep our resources accessible for the long term, we have had to make the difficult decision to charge for the printable resources that sit alongside our video lessons.

Here is the important part: all video lessons will remain completely free. You can still use them as you always have, creating your own activities around them if you prefer. But if you would like the ease of pressing print and being ready to go, we now ask that you support our work by purchasing those ready-made packs.

The good news is that the website will still work in exactly the same way, with just a small change. Instead of instant downloads, the supporting resources are now available to buy using the button next to each video.

Why are we making these changes?

This is not a decision we make lightly. Fundraising has become increasingly difficult over the past year. The money available to charities is shrinking, grant funders are closing their doors, and more organisations than ever are competing for a smaller pot of funding. The reality is that we cannot keep going exactly as we are.

Offering everything for free has always been at the heart of Learn and Thrive. It makes our resources fully accessible and has set us apart from almost every other organisation. In fact, we do not know of another charity or education provider that gives away everything without charge. We led with our hearts, believing we could keep this up forever. But times have changed, and to survive, we must adapt.

At our core, we are ambitious. We want to keep moving forward, creating new content and providing teaching now so that fewer young people miss out. To do this, we need more support. Charging for our printable resources is the best step we can take right now to generate income while protecting free access to our video lessons.

But this alone will not solve the funding challenge. We still need your help. If Learn and Thrive has supported you, your family, or your students, please consider supporting us in return. You can find ways to do so on our support page.

What does this mean for me?

So, we will be removing the current downloads from the website, and each video pack will need to be paid for. As part of this, we will also make sure that we keep increasing what is available, so that you get additional content to make this cost worthwhile.

We’ve also discussed broadly with experts and partners to decide on our price points, and taken into consideration the amount of resources you get in each download.

If you are unable to buy these packs due to financial hardship, please do get in touch. We will be able to offer financial support. No young person should miss out due to financial difficulties. We are committed to supporting anyone who comes to us.

For delivery partners - schools and community groups

We will be keeping access to these free. Because of the number of people that you support, we want to keep this free and know that these organisations are often seeking funding themselves, so are in the same boat. If you are in one of these groups, let us know and we can chat to you more about how this will work and how you can gain access.

Next steps…

We are continuing to work hard to get the website fully updated so that you can get back to our content. Once it’s all ready, we will re-open the member areas, and announce through our mailing list and on social media.

And when we relaunch the website, there will be brand new content in the Learning for Life project! Our Online Safety series is finally on it’s way to you!

If you have any questions, or are a delivery partner, then please get in touch.

Thank You

From all of the Learn and Thrive team, it’s a big thank you from all of us. For understanding why we need to make these changes, for loving our content, and for the support (both financial and emotional) you give us to keep going and creating the content we know our community needs.

So thank you! From Jo, Laura, Hannah, and Craig.