Down's South London KIDS WALK 300

[p][b]Determined youngsters with Down’s Syndrome take up 300 mile challenge to fundraise for their own therapy[/b][/p][p]The Down’s South London KIDS WALK 300 (#DSLWalk300) challenge is raising money for Down’s South London (DSL), a small charity based in Peckham, to replace more than £50,000 of lost income that the charity has suffered this year due to the pandemic. The service, offered free to families, is paid for by voluntary donations and through a range of fundraising initiatives by DSL’s trustees, families, their friends and supporters.[/p][p][b]Our team:[/b][/p][p]We are a group of fifteen determined children, aged from just two to nine years old, embarking on an epic challenge to complete a 300 mile journey between us. We all have Down's Syndrome, and will be crawling, walking, running, scooting, cycling and swimming, to cover the equivalent distance from Land’s End to Peckham in south London, where our therapy is based, in a virtual challenge.[/p][p]Our team are (in age order): Leila (9), Theodora (6), Tristan (5), Imany (5), Elijah (5), Beth (5), Emma (5), Eugene (5), Elliott (4), Orla (4), Zephy (3), Lucy (3), Ned (3), Mara (2) and Olive (2).[/p][p]We are sharing our journey on [url=https://www.instagram.com/downssouthlondon/]Instagram[/url] and Facebook via [url=https://www.facebook.com/DownsSouthLondon/]@downssouthlondon[/url] and on Twitter via [url=https://twitter.com/downssouthldn]@downssouthLDN[/url] .[/p][p][b][i]UPDATE: The children have now completed the challenge and on the 16 November crossed their socially distanced finish lines, raising nearly £40,000 in the process. The children chalked up an incredible 457 miles between them. We are now just £10,000 shy of our target. Please help this incredible team reach their final goal. [/i][/b][/p][p]You can read our press releases in full below:[/p][p][url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1srVuYjaoPehXVLJ9odi1adnCjxrBH8bv3odsruRcxzA/edit?usp=sharing]‘The challenge begins’ press release[/url][/p][p][url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KmSW96VpePuMdWUc70KicYeT8Jzr59khDb372V3-H7U/edit?usp=sharing]‘Half way!’ press release[/url][/p][p][url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ItsPWXl4GD1FdByMTezQYUfc6uV9rVr6cxpjwbkEeOA/edit?usp=sharing]‘We did it!’ press release[/url][/p][p][b]About Down’s South London (DSL):[/b][/p][p]Founded in 1998, Down’s South London provides vital free services to children with Down’s Syndrome and their families in South London. The children access a unique package of early intervention speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy from a team of highly skilled therapists with specialist knowledge. Over the last 22 years it has supported hundreds of children and their families. DSL is also a family support network, providing much needed support and information sharing as well as valuable friendship opportunities for parents/carers and the children themselves. Our service is paid for by voluntary donations and through a range of fundraising initiatives by DLS's families, friends and wellwishers. We're run by a group of parent volunteer trustees to ensure all proceeds go directly to the therapy service.[/p][p][b]Why is DSL therapy special?[/b][/p][p]DSL's service targets areas of therapy that are too often either unavailable to families, too infrequent or not specialised enough to make a real difference to our children. Early intervention is vital and, with waiting lists for the NHS growing, we encourage early referrals, right from birth.[/p][p]DSL’s specialist therapists see each child weekly, providing them with a personalised multi-disciplinary therapy programme to assist their development in all these areas and lay the foundations for them to grow into independent adults who contribute actively to society.[/p][p]For additional information visit: [url=http://www.downssouthlondon.org/]http://www.downssouthlondon.org[/url][/p]