Chattertots

21/05/2026

On 29th March, we gathered at Thames Valley Adventure Playground to celebrate World Down Syndrome Day (21st March) with our Berkshire families — and what a celebration it was. 💙💛

We were delighted to welcome Joshua Reynolds MP and his parliamentary assistant George, alongside John Waddelove and his wife Felicity from the Unicorn Club, who have been such generous supporters of our work. Having them spend the afternoon with our families meant a great deal to us.

The entertainment was in the hands of the brilliant Hartbeeps UK — and they did not disappoint. Hartbeeps create innovative, multi-sensory and highly interactive productions for young children, transforming everyday environments into colourful, tactile wonderlands. We have worked with them for over a decade, and we return to them every year because their sensory approach genuinely connects with our children in a way that is quite special to witness. The room was alive with music, movement, props and pure joy.

And the KPop demon hunter cake, made by the wonderful Heather at Free Cakes for Kids Maidenhead? A genuine showstopper. We are so grateful. 🎂

We were also thrilled to receive a wonderful gift from HarperCollins Publishers UK — 15 copies of The Mizzy Mysteries: The Skeleton in the Closet by Claire Hatcher Smith, which we will be donating to local Berkshire schools to promote inclusion and acceptance of Down Syndrome. This is the second book in the Mizzy Mysteries series — a mystery adventure for readers aged 8+ whose main protagonist is a young girl with Down Syndrome. Seeing a child with Down Syndrome as the sharp, determined heroine at the heart of a story matters. It matters to our children, and it matters to every child who reads it. Claire brings over 30 years of experience working in SEN settings, and the audiobook is narrated by Poppy Mae Barratt, an actor with Down Syndrome — a genuinely exciting first. 📚

Thank you to every family who joined us, and to everyone who made the day possible. This is what community looks like.

15/05/2026

25/04/2026

Hopefully the weather will hold for our monthly session at TVAP tomorrow 2-4, hope to see you there.

21/04/2026

We’ve received some lovely feedback from a primary school in Reading, who are using one of our ‘Go To School’ boxes:

“A school starter received a Chattertots ‘Go to School’ box a while ago, and on behalf of our Acting Headteacher, we just wanted to say thank you and let you know how valuable the box has been. The pupil uses and enjoys the iPad and other resources a lot, and we are very grateful for the support.

We are very grateful to you, and to the funders who generously support this scheme. These wonderful resources make a real difference to the child’s experience at school.”

We’re so pleased to hear this and really appreciate the school taking the time to share their experience 💛

20/04/2026

Thames Valley Adventure playground will be open Sunday (26) 2 - 4 to families of those with Downs Syndrome. Charges as normal. £5 for first person, then £1 for every additional person, please bring cash with you.

Come and join us for a fun afternoon. Thank you to our key holder.

09/04/2026

https://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk/gallery/council-and-politics/705188/berkshire-families-raise-concerns-over-send-reforms-as-they-mark-world-down-syndrome-day.html

Families from across Berkshire gathered for a World Down Syndrome Day party at Thames Valley Adventure Playground on Sunday – and to share their concerns about special education reforms.

02/04/2026

We've got some exciting news to share! 🧡

Chattertots has been awarded a £1,000 grant through Tesco Stronger Starts Groundwork — and we're using every penny to fund speech and language therapy for children with Down Syndrome right here in Berkshire.

Speech therapy is at the heart of what we do. It helps our children find their voice, build confidence, and take those vital steps forward — and thanks to Tesco customers voting for us, we can keep that support going.

From all of us at Chattertots, and from every family we support across Berkshire — thank you. This really does make a difference.

31/03/2026

We were delighted to host Joshua Reynolds’s MP at our World Down syndrome Day party at tvap and to discuss the Down Syndrome Act Consultation and Send White Paper with him.

On Sunday, I had the privilege of joining the World Down Syndrome Day celebrations with Chattertots at Thames Valley Adventure Playground.

Thank you to the organisers for putting on such a wonderful event, it was a pleasure to meet so many people from across our community.

11/12/2025

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