Sunshine & Smiles – Leeds Down Syndrome Network
Young people
We aim to develop an employment pathway for people with Down Syndrome to access paid work experience, training and further paid work opportunities.
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About this cause
Sunshine & Smiles is a specific support network for people who have Down Syndrome in Leeds and their families. We run many different groups and activities such as speech and language therapy, Makaton baby sign sessions, social and recreational groups, and individual family support and advocacy. We also run a cafe and shop, 21 Co., which offers paid employment for 10 people with Down Syndrome. Our aims are to improve the lives and opportunities of people with Down Syndrome as well as raising awareness and challenging preconceptions in the wider community.
Sunshine & Smiles – Leeds Down Syndrome Network website
How this cause brings people in the community together
Only 5.1% of adults with a learning disability are in paid work in England. We would like this to change. 21 Co. offers paid work experience for 10 people with Down Syndrome at the moment, but we wish to create an employment pathway so that at 21 Co. we have a clear process of offering training and work experience, building a portfolio of competencies, looking at things like creating a CV and practising interview skills, so that we can help people to then move forward into other paid work opportunities. In the long term we would like to extend this model of working across the whole of Sunshine & Smiles to make sure we can offer this opportunity to as many people with Down Syndrome in Leeds as possible.