Family Fun Day celebrating Down Syndrome
A Family Fun Day celebrating Down Syndrome this Sunday aims to bring together families in a bid to raise the profile of a dedicated centre providing family support. Organisers are hoping that the day will be an opportunities to bring families together in advance of the opening of The Down Syndrome Centre North East (DSC NE).
The facility will open its doors in January 2018. This will be the first dedicated service for people with Down Syndrome in the North East. Based in Carrickmacross it will provide a service to clients from Louth, Meath, Monaghan and Cavan.
The centre is based on the model of the Dublin Down Syndrome Centre. The Dublin Centre was founded by Peter Gaw and his wife Mary as a result of their frustration at not being able to access relevant services for their two youngest children, both of whom have Down Syndrome.
Since 2014 when the first centre opened in Dublin, a number of centres have been opened around the country and the centre in Carrickmacross will be the fourth to open its doors.
The aims is to create a centre dedicated to providing support and services to families and carers of people with Down Syndrome. It also looks to help them to reach their full potential and creating a brighter future.
A dedicated centre offers the opportunity to create a hub where more specialised services can be offered in a space specifically designed for the needs of those accessing the centre.
The centre has been in the pipeline since April of this year and the process was initiated by Mary Hall, Martin McBreen and Sinead Fidgeon, who are parents of children with Down Syndrome.
The passion and determination of the volunteers has inspired other parents to become involved and plans have moved along swiftly, with the committee securing a premises in the C:Tek Building, Riverside Road, Carrickmacross. The group is currently recruiting for a part time Speech & Language Therapist and Occupational Therapist.
The centre will offer baby massage, counselling for new and expectant parents, music classes, dietitian and a parent toddler group upon opening with plans to expand to Speech & Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, a Preschool Intervention Programme, Applied Behavioural Analysis and Parent Information Sessions within the first quarter.
One of the main goals of the centre is to facilitate a "family based" approach to providing support, services, education and advice. The hub of the centre will be the family room and coffee dock offering space for individuals to come together to form friendships and a peer-to-peer support network. Siblings are welcome to come play in the family room whilst waiting on their brother and sister. It is a centre for the family unit.
DSC NE are having a Family Fun Day Celebrating Down Syndrome as a way to introduce themselves to families in the North East. This will be happening Sunday September 24 in the Phoenix Centre, Carrickmacross from 2-5pm.
There will be a range of indoor and outdoor activities. Information will be provided on the services the centre will offer but the group also want to know what services families would like to see available in the future.
They would, particularly like to hear from teenagers and adults with Down Syndrome to assess what their needs are so plans can be made for the future.
You can find out more about the centre on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/downsyndromecentrenortheast/ or contact them at: downsyndromecentrene@gmail.com.