Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association

Home
United Kingdom
Portsmouth
Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association

Rachael Ross MBE –Chair & Fundraising Dir. Portsmouth DSA is proud to have royal approval. We are based at Aspen House in Portsmouth.
(1)

We are an award-winning registered charity no. 1147355, providing advice and a range of specialist services for young people, families & professionals. Royal Approval
Portsmouth DSA is proud to have been honoured by Her Majesty the Queen with the Queen’s Award in recognition of 'outstanding service to our community'. We received a Special Covid recognition Award to recognise our work during the pa

ndemic, and we are proud to have been granted Freedom of the City of Portsmouth. Portsmouth DSA is committed to improving the lives of children with Down syndrome across Hampshire and beyond and we work hard to raise awareness, champion inclusion, and celebrate diversity in all areas. We know our children can succeed when given the opportunity, and with the right support, and we believe they deserve the same opportunities and right to experience success as their peers. Portsmouth DSA is largely managed by professional full and part-time volunteers and provides a range of some of the best specialist services in the UK supporting development and education, and offers training to assist families and professionals in providing effective support from the point of diagnosis, helping to teach children the skills they need to reach their developmental milestones, succeed at school, and become valued and productive members of their communities. Our services are the only fully comprehensive and progressive services in the UK supporting the child’s education and development from diagnosis through to young adulthood with training to assist families and professionals in providing direct and effective support to improve outcomes. When children with Down syndrome are given opportunities to participate and be fully included, the whole community benefits. Please contact us if you would like to find out more about what we do, or if you would like to come along to meet us.

17/06/2026

🎶We had an absolute blast at our final The Music Man Project Portsmouth of the academic year, revisiting old favourites such as Animals I Adore 🦁and High, Low, Middle 🎻, alongside games, treats, & plenty of fun! It’s been a fantastic year, & wonderful to see our members grow in confidence, develop new skills, & flourish through music and friendship. A huge thank you to our fantastic practitioner Emma, as well as Lorilea & our dedicated volunteers & amazing young people, who make these sessions possible. We can’t wait to see everyone again in September when preparations for our big Royal Albert Hall performance begin in earnest! 🎶 The Music Man Project UK Creative Melody

15/06/2026

😊 Lovely to catch up with new families (and old!), along with some of our charity partners, at this morning’s community meeting.
It was also great to welcome Mark Flay, Local Partnership Manager from the Zurich Community Team and Katherine to learn more about our work and explore ways they can support. Thank you as ever to the Zurich Community Team who did a brilliant job in the kitchen as always keeping us fed and watered! 🫖🍪
We’re grateful for the opportunity to strengthen local partnerships and continue building support for our community. Zurich Community Trust

13/06/2026

📣Charity Chair Rachael recognised in King’s Birthday Honours List
We are very proud to share that our Co-Founder and Chair Rachael has been appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in The King’s Birthday Honours List, for services to education, national policy and people with Down syndrome. This well-deserved honour recognises Rachael’s tireless dedication, leadership and long-standing commitment to improving lives and driving meaningful change for over 2 decades since the birth of her son Max. Rachael said she is “incredibly moved” by the recognition, adding the award reflects the dedication of so many incredible individuals who have worked alongside her over the years including people with Down syndrome. “I am immensely proud to be part of both the Portsmouth DSA and National Down Syndrome Policy Group teams, whose passion, expertise and commitment continue to drive positive change for people with Down syndrome and their families” but “...there is still much more to do to ensure people with Down syndrome are valued, meaningfully included and given every opportunity to thrive, succeed and be celebrated in their communities as they deserve.” Everyone at Portsmouth DSA sends our warmest congratulations to Rachael on this outstanding achievement. 👏

08/06/2026

🏁 A WINNING DAY! 🏁 🛻A huge thank you to all the supercar enthusiasts who stopped by the Sporting Bears stand at the Steeleford Supercar Show at Stansted House. Thanks to your generosity, and with 11 fabulous cars on display, raised an incredible £1,451.37 for Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association. We are enormously grateful to Martin, Claire, Tony, and the entire Sporting Bears team, who have been outstanding supporters of Portsmouth DSA throughout the past year. Special thanks also go to our wonderful volunteers, Joy, Fleur, & Alice, who were fantastic ambassadors for the charity on the day.
There are plenty more car shows planned over the coming months, including events where you can enjoy dream rides in a stunning range of classic, sports and supercars, so keep an eye out for upcoming dates and come along for a fantastic day out. Thank you again to everyone who helped make the day such a success!🏎️
fans

01/06/2026

This week is National Volunteers’ Week. 💚 Portsmouth DSA would not exist without the hard work and generosity of our volunteers, including our advocates with Down syndrome who play central role in everything we do. From cheering at the Great South Run & supporting fundraisers, to helping us deliver our education & music sessions, & our teenage buddy initiative & social events, their support reaches across every part of Portsmouth DSA. Each hour they give helps us support families & strengthen our community. In return, volunteering offers real purpose, connection, & a sense of belonging. A big THANK YOU to all our volunteers for the incredible difference you make every day. 💚 fans

19/05/2026

We were incredibly proud to receive the Portsmouth City Council Civic Award today in recognition of our “exemplary service” and “outstanding contribution” to the community, following unanimous approval from the awards panel. Two of our long-serving volunteers, Lucy and Katherine, had the honour of accepting the award at the Mayor Making Ceremony at the Guildhall. Lucy said: “As a founding member, I have seen just how powerful it can be when families come together to support one another. What started as a small support group has grown into a strong and welcoming community built on inclusion, friendship, and belonging. My daughter Matilda, now 18, and our whole family have benefited enormously from the support and friendships the charity has provided over the years.” A huge thank you to all our dedicated staff, volunteers, families, and supporters who make our work possible and continue to inspire everything we do, and to Portsmouth City Council for this wonderful recognition. fans

18/05/2026

🔴🔵Our collection at Tesco Extra was a huge success this weekend, raising an incredible £1,050.56 in donations! We were genuinely overwhelmed by the generosity of customers, especially during such challenging times, and by their kind words and encouragement shared throughout the day. We’ve also received some heart-warming feedback from customers and families since the collection! A huge thank you to Julie & Tesco for making us feel so welcome, to our amazing volunteer families who gave their time and energy all day, and to every customer who stopped to donate or offer support. You made a real difference! fans

09/05/2026

What a beautiful sunny day we all had at our Railway Day with Fareham & District Society of Model Engineers this weekend! 🚂
It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the train rides, trying out the boats, and spending time together in such a welcoming setting. We hope everyone had a fantastic day making memories and catching up with friends and making new friends!
A very special thank you to the volunteers at Fareham & District Society of Model Engineers for once again hosting us so generously and helping make the day so enjoyable for our families.
Huge thanks as always to our events manager Stacey Brooks, Liz and our volunteer team for making these events possible. We loved seeing all the smiles throughout the day and hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! fans

01/05/2026

🚨 It’s time to vote! 🚨
The Blue Token Scheme is now LIVE in stores, and we need the support of our amazing community once again! 🔵
You can help fund our specialist school services simply by dropping your blue token in-store at any of the following locations:
📍 Cosham Superstore (PO6 3BZ)
📍 Copnor Express (PO3 5EE)
📍 Farlington Havant Express (PO6 1NF)
📍 Portsmouth Extra (PO6 4SR)
📍 Portsmouth London Road Express (PO2 9HF)
📍 North End Portsmouth Express (PO2 9DE)
🗳️ Voting runs until Friday 31st July - every single token makes a huge difference!
We’ve been lucky enough to win before thanks to the incredible support from our community 🙌 Let’s do it again together!
A big thank you to Tesco Community Champion Julie Knight for her continued support 🔵👉 If you’re popping into Tesco, please remember to pick up your token (or ten😉!) and vote for us! Thank you!

20/04/2026

If you loved it last year, just wait until October … it’s going to be even bigger and better! 💚 Join our amazing PDSA Green Army at the Great South Run 2026!
We have FREE charity places available across all events in return for sponsorship:
🏃 10 Mile 🏃‍♀️ 5K🚶‍♂️ 5K Walk 👟 Mini & Junior races!
Whether you’re a seasoned runner, a casual jogger, a walker, or cheering from the sidelines, we’d love to have you on the team. All ages (3+) and abilities are welcome! When you run with us, you’re not just taking on a personal challenge - you’re helping to fund vital specialist services for young people with Down syndrome that they might not otherwise receive.
✨ Why join Team PDSA?
• Unbeatable team spirit
• The friendliest support crews cheering you every step of the way
• A truly rewarding experience from start to finish
📩 Want to know more? Email: [email protected]
👉 Ready to sign up? Complete our application form today and secure your place!
https://tinyurl.com/PDSAGSR2026
Please share this with friends and family and help us make 2026 our biggest and best year yet 💚

Address

Unit 1, Aspen House, Airport Service Road
Portsmouth
PO35RA

Website

http://www.portsmouthdsa.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association:

Shortcuts

Featured

Portsmouth Mediation And Assessment Service

Want your organisation to be the top-listed Non Profit Organisation in Portsmouth?