ABOUT CHARITIES TOGETHER:

Charities Together is about bringing together Irish charities so we can help them through 2020. We are asking people to support the #20in2020 campaign where people can either donate 20 to a charity of their choice or they can take on a '20' themed challenge to fundraise for a charity close to their hearts to help them through 2020. They can also tell 20 people they know about it to help the sector to get through these challenging times. We're also encouraging people to fundraise however they want to by selecting the start fundraising button above and creating your own fundraising page as part of this campaign.

As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, millions of euro in funding has been lost by Irish charities at a time when their services and supports are most needed. Down Syndrome Ireland is one of them.

ABOUT DOWN SYNDROME IRELAND:

Down Syndrome Ireland (DSI) is a nationwide charity with 25 branches throughout Ireland, supporting 3,500 members with Down syndrome and their families in local communities . We provide essential all-through-life supports and services to children and adults with Down syndrome and their families. These include support to new and expectant parents, early intervention, speech & language and occupational therapy, health programmes, bespoke education and training programmes, personal development and employment opportunities all of which enhance the lives of thousands of people with Down syndrome in Ireland every day

Every year we need to raise up to 86% of our 4.2 million costs to enable us to continue providing these essential services. With only 14% State funding, we are very heavily reliant on public donations and community fundraising.

As an organisation dedicated to supporting vulnerable children and adults, we are particularly worried about the impact the Covid-19 crisis has had, and will continue to have, on them. We are doing all we can to support our members and anyone who needs help and support during this time. We are working continuously to increase the amount of information available online and creating additional resources for children and adults to use, ensuring they can continue their learning and development while staying home

All our group fundraising activities have been suspended and our charity shops, which are critical in raising much needed funds to support what we do, remain closed. Down Syndrome Ireland face the worrying challenge of a considerable collapse in donations and fundraising income. In order to continue our work supporting the thousands of people with Down syndrome around the country, we need your support more than ever

For more information, please visit www.downsyndrome.ie or follow us on social media.

HAVING A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME - Meet Ciara & Seamus:

Meet two of our parent members, Ciara and Seamus OHanlon. In this video, they tell us about raising their children Fionán (5) and Seána (3) who has Down syndrome. They talk about the initial news, their thoughts and feelings then and now and how the journey has been for them so far - Having a child with Down syndrome