The Hargreaves Foundation supports Foyle Down Syndrome Trust

The Trustees of the Hargreaves Foundation are pleased to announce funding has been granted to Foyle Down Syndrome Trust, a charity in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, that supports children and young people with Down’s syndrome to lead full, meaningful and productive lives.

The funding will enable 21 young people with Down’s syndrome aged 12 to 18 to plan and facilitate a 36-week health-and-fitness programme, ‘Down Right Fit’. They will deliver the programme to 15 local primary schools (approximately 450 children) from September 2023 to June 2024.

All 15 primary schools will come together to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March 2024 with a special Down Right Fit session planned and organised by the 21 young people delivering the programme.

We envisage that planning and delivering Down Right Fit will lead to significantly increased levels of mental wellbeing, improved social connections and reduced social exclusion. The young people will also develop an improved sense of self and be healthier, fitter, more confident and more likely to realise their full potential. In addition, the local schoolchildren will benefit from improved emotional wellbeing and physical health.