#DoubleThePotential
Today you can make DOUBLE THE IMPACT to the wonderful families we support.
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Every £1 you donate before 23rd August will be doubled. You can help to #DoubleThePotential.
#DoubleThePotential
“Arabella will always struggle in life. She isn’t going to achieve the same things as other children. You’re going to need to lower your expectations.
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I got used to hearing people trying to write my daughter off. Why? Because Bella has Down syndrome.
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I’ll tell you more about Bella in a minute. But first, I want to show you how you can be a miracle for a young person like Bella, who has Down syndrome.
Today you have an opportunity to help a young person like Bella achieve great things. Your donation can help a young person with Down syndrome thrive at school, enjoy a full and active life, find work, and even go on to live independently.
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And what’s more, any gift you give over the next 2 weeks will be DOUBLED!
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Thanks to a wonderful, matched giving offer from one of our supporters, every £1 you donate to Stepping Stones before 23rd August will be doubled. You can make a difference and #DoubleThePotential
About Bella
Since Bella was little we have been part of the Stepping Stones DS family, a local charity which supports children and young people with Down syndrome to fulfil their potential. Stepping Stones DS has been a lifeline for us; supporting Bella’s school journey, offering weekend activities to promote physical fitness and a chance to socialise with her friends, plus speech and language based groups to help Bella develop important social & communication skills.
A fortnightly dance class for Bella costs £15. The termly cost for the outreach service that Bella received at school was £265. A year of Bella’s communication groups is £1040.
Yet Stepping Stones DS provide all of these services without charge.
To ensure they can continue to offer their amazing services to families like ours – we need your help. We have a fantastic opportunity that will expire on 23rd August.
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Please send your gift to us today, and every £1 you donate before 23rd August will be doubled.
And the fantastic thing about Stepping Stones DS’ support for young people is that it is often the springboard to a young person achieving something they never believed they could do.
Young people just like Bella.
Let me tell you a bit more about Bella.
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life isn’t a level playing field for people with Down syndrome. And life was sometimes a struggle for Bella. She took longer to learn things than other children. Her muscle tone wasn’t as strong as it could be. She found social interaction challenging at times.
But with the support provided to Bella, her family, and the teachers that worked with her, Bella exceeded everyone’s expectations, including her own.
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Bella thrived in mainstream school. She had a strong friendship group which included typically developing young people. Bella is now at college, and will be continuing her performing arts studies in September. We are making plans for her to move into a house alongside her friends. She can’t wait to enjoy more independence and is already planning her social life!
Bella has a part-time paid job working in a coffee shop, and as has excelled in her work experience where she worked as a teaching assistant with children with special needs.
Bella still loves to dance and classes have helped her co-ordination, confidence, social skills and kept her active. With the many public performances, Bella became more confident. Tennis has also helped with her physical health in a fun environment. Having regular activities has been very important; giving structure, an opportunity to socialise and engage in interesting activities in a supportive environment.
Bella is about to start her third year of Communication Groups with Stepping Stones DS. These have really helped develop her communication skills & friendships. The topics are meaningful & helpful. They also provide an opportunity for me to meet with other parents facing similar issues & benefit from sharing useful information.
Last year, we were so proud when Bella was invited to give a presentation at the SSDS World Down Syndrome Day event about her experiences. She was a celebrated guest and spoke to attendees with clarity. She oozed confidence and absolutely shone.
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This is a far cry from the life of dependency, loneliness, and failure that others had predicted for Bella. Bella has shown everyone, including herself, that with the right support, the sky’s the limit.
As Bella’s mum, I’m writing to ask you to help children and young adults like Bella overcome the barriers and prejudices they often face and achieve great things.
Bella has been part of the Stepping Stones DS family since she was little, and we couldn’t be prouder to see her pushing herself to fulfil her potential. She is a testament to what can be achieved with the support and encouragement to thrive. We will be forever grateful to Stepping Stones DS for the opportunities they have provided.
Please join me today in making a gift to the #DoubleThePotential matched giving campaign to help children and young people with Down syndrome become all they were meant to be.
Every £1 you donate before 23rd August will be doubled, so please send your gift to us today.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness.
Angela, Bella’s mum