About Bristol Down Syndrome Trust
Bristol Down Syndrome Trust began meeting as a group in September 2002 as a branch of the Down Syndrome Educational Trust in Portsmouth.
The group was started by two families; Jonathan and Marie-Louise Cook and Ian and Annabel Dixey, both of whom have children with Down Syndrome and were inspired by the work of Professor Sue Buckley and her team in Portsmouth. Initially children attended speech and language therapy sessions and this has now been extended to include Numicon groups with families attending from as far afield as Cheltenham and Wales.
The aims of the group are:
- To advance the development and education of children with Down Syndrome
- To help children with Down Syndrome achieve their potential and be included in society
- To achieve this by offering speech and language therapy and Numicon groups and practical advice in a friendly environment
- To bring families together for mutual support
In September 2007 the group became an independent charity known as The Bristol Down Syndrome Trust, but continues to have close links with Portsmouth.
The cost of running the groups is heavily subsidised by our fundraising.
