We are recruiting a Charity Director

We are looking for a strategic, values-driven and collaborative Charity Director/CEO to lead DS Achieve through its next stage, building on strong foundations to ensure long-term sustainability and meaningful impact for the families we support.

This is a rewarding opportunity to play a key role in shaping the future of a small community-focused charity supporting children and young people with Down Syndrome. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, you will provide strategic leadership, guide the development of the organisation, and support a committed team to deliver high-quality services for families across Hertfordshire and surrounding areas.

Pay: c. £45,500 FTE (pro rata depending on hours)

Hours: 12–15 hours per week (flexible), including:

• Term-time delivery, with occasional light activity outside term time

• Occasional attendance at Saturday afternoon sessions and key events

Location: Home based, with occasional travel within Hertfordshire for meetings, events or service delivery as required.

Start date: Summer 2026 (flexible)

If you are interested in applying for the position and would like to find out more, please read the Role Profile here and get in touch with your CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in the role at info@dsachieve.org.

The application deadline is Monday 20th April 2026. Please expect to receive a response once the deadline has passed.

A Fantastic Family Party to Celebrate World Down Syndrome Day!

We’re still smiling after such a fantastic afternoon at our Family Party on Sunday!

It was wonderful to see so many families come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day - the room was full of energy, laughter and that brilliant sense of community that makes DS Achieve so special.

The Jersey Farm Community Centre was once again the perfect setting for a fun-filled afternoon, with something for everyone. Here’s a snapshot of what we got up to:

• a soft play area for our youngest children

• a quiet room for anyone needing a calmer space away from the main hall

• creative activities, including decorating odd sock-shaped gingerbread, scratch art, an odd socks craft station and colouring

• glitter tattoos (always a favourite!)

• a range of games and activities, including giant Connect 4, Frisbee Challenge, Monkey Mayhem, Ring Toss, Ball in the Bucket and our letter hunt challenge to spell out a secret word

• a ‘selfie’ spot with fun props and frame

• and a bit of a dance at the end of the afternoon

We also had some brilliant competitions running throughout the afternoon:

• Find where the bunny is hiding - congratulations to Sienna who took home her new cuddly bunny

• Guess the number of eggs in the odd sock - well done to Valerie who won a Lindt Easter Egg

Our raffle was another highlight, with the draw taking place on Monday morning - thank you to everyone who bought tickets to support DS Achieve.

We also launched our range of DS Achieve branded t-shirts and sweatshirts, sales will be open soon so please keep an eye out for our emails and social media posts.

A very special thank you to Stephanie Belton, who once again generously gave her time and talent to capture the day. We know how much families value these photos, and we’re so grateful for her continued support.

And of course, a huge THANK YOU to our amazing volunteers who made the day run so smoothly: Alek, Daria, Eve, Gabs, Helena, Lucas, Max, Megan, Mia, Ridhi, Tina (and her whole family!), William - we couldn’t have done it without you!

Events like this are a wonderful opportunity to bring families together, celebrate our community and raise vital funds to support our work. Thank you for being part of it.

If you attended, we’d love to hear your highlights or any suggestions for future events, please do get in touch at info@dsachieve.org.

We’re already looking forward to the next one!

We are recruiting for a Youth Club Leader!

We are looking for a proactive and highly motivated Youth Club Leader to help shape and deliver our new Youth Club programme for young people aged 11–17 with Down Syndrome.

This is an exciting opportunity to design and develop a meaningful, engaging and educational space for secondary-aged young people with Down Syndrome, developing life and social communication skills, and building confidence, friendships and independence during a key stage of their development.

Pay: From £25 per hour (to include a Saturday weighting) with a range to accommodate background, skills, professional qualifications, and experience.

Hours: 4 hours per week; 31 weeks per year (during term time only), to cover:

• 2 hours at the group each week (4-6pm on Saturday afternoons)

• 20 hours per term on other listed activities, to be worked flexibly

Location: Groups take place at Applecroft Primary School, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6JZ. Remaining hours to be worked from home.

Start date: Summer 2026

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 Monday 20th April. Please expect to receive a response to your application once the deadline has passed.

Happy World Down Syndrome Day!

Each year on 21st March we mark World Down Syndrome Day - a day to celebrate Down Syndrome (DS), raise awareness, and advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with DS around the world.

World Down Syndrome Day has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012, and on this day we join a single global voice calling for a world where everyone has the same freedoms and opportunities.

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 2026 is Together Against Loneliness. Loneliness is a serious issue - not just a sad feeling, but something that is genuinely harmful to our health and happiness. Research shows that people with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience loneliness, and that true inclusion means more than just being present - it means being welcomed, valued, and invited to take part.

This year, we're calling for every person to have meaningful relationships, to feel truly included in schools, jobs and community life, and to be safe from stereotyping. Together, we can make a difference. For more information about WDSD 2026, here are some useful links:

Together Against Loneliness - Down Syndrome International

Down Syndrome explained

WDSD 2026 – Down Syndrome UK

World Down Syndrome Day | United Nations

We are so grateful for the support of our wonderful community. If DS Achieve has made a positive difference to your life or the life of someone you love, please consider making a small donation. Your generosity helps us continue delivering the services that matter most to our families.

Rock Your Odd Socks - World Down Syndrome Day 2026 - We'd love you to get involved!

We’re inviting you to help spread the word and support DS Achieve by encouraging your school or workplace to take part in Odd Socks Day!

Taking part is simple - wear some mismatched or colourful socks that are going to get noticed, and then when someone comments, it’s the perfect opportunity to say, “I’m wearing them to raise awareness about Down Syndrome”.

This is a great way to fundraise for DS Achieve. Donations collected for wearing odd socks help us raise vital funds that go directly towards supporting children and young people with Down Syndrome. Every penny makes a real difference and helps us continue our important work.

If you would like to take part, please download our information sheet below about World Down Syndrome Day and provides a short explanation to share with pupils, parents and colleagues.

Donations can be made via our JustGiving page: Donate here

Alternatively, contact us at info@dsachieve.org to request our bank details.

Thank you for supporting DS Achieve in 2025.

We couldn't do it without you.

As we come to the end of another year, we’d like to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported DS Achieve throughout 2025. Whether you’ve joined us at events, volunteered your time, fundraised, donated, or helped share our work with others, your support has played a vital role in everything we’ve achieved this year. We truly couldn’t do this without you.

It has been a full and rewarding year for DS Achieve, and we’re pleased to share a snapshot of the difference your support has made in 2025. You can read more about our work, highlights, and achievements by viewing our 2025 Impact Report at the link below.

UPDATE: ‘My Voice’ Volunteering Programme

Over the past three years, DS Achieve has been proud to work in partnership with Hertfordshire Libraries to develop and deliver the My Voice youth volunteering programme. What began as a two-year funded programme has grown into a resounding success - so much so that My Voice is now a fully embedded part of the Hertfordshire Libraries service.

This means that, going forward, Hertfordshire Libraries will take the lead in managing the programme. We will be directing any future volunteering enquiries from young people and families straight to their team, who are brilliantly placed to carry it forward.

The programme has given young people with Down Syndrome (aged 14-24) the opportunity to become part of the Hertfordshire Libraries youth volunteer network, gaining supported placements in libraries across the county. In that time, seven young people with Down Syndrome have completed successful placements, growing in confidence, learning new skills, and becoming valued members of their local library teams. The impact has been felt not only by the volunteers themselves, but also by library staff and the wider communities they have joined.

As part of our role, DS Achieve has delivered specialist training through our Down Syndrome advisors to library staff across Hertfordshire. This training has helped ensure staff feel confident and well-equipped to support young people with Down Syndrome as volunteers - and it has been wonderful to see this knowledge and confidence embedded across the service.

We are incredibly proud of what My Voice has achieved, and delighted that its future is secure within Hertfordshire Libraries. We are grateful to Hertfordshire Libraries for such a positive and collaborative partnership, and we look forward to seeing the programme continue to thrive for years to come.

For enquiries about volunteering opportunities, please contact Hertfordshire Libraries directly: MyVoice@hertfordshire.gov.uk

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.