A PLUCKY 10-year-old from Long Lawford who was born with Down syndrome has led a team of volunteers up one of the UK’s highest mountains to help other youngsters who have the condition.
Despite horrendous weather conditions which caused some participants to abandon the challenge, Ella Hands – who goes to school in Ryton-on-Dunsmore – kept to her word and led 15 volunteers on a Snowdon climb – raising £3,200 in the process.
Dave and Ella march on despite the terrible weather.The money will go towards a fund-raising campaign, spearheaded by Ella’s parents Dave and Rachel, to help secondary school children with Down syndrome to receive the best possible education.
Ella led the team of staff from logistics company LTS Global Solutions alongside her brother Connor and their parents – both of whom work for the company.
The family wanted to help make a difference in classrooms across the UK for secondary school pupils with Down syndrome.
The funds will go towards Dave and Rachel’s campaign in partnership with charity Down Syndrome UK to raise £40,000 for the development of a Secondary Education Programme, to give schools all the resources and expertise needed to help students with Down syndrome to thrive in the classroom.
It followed the couple’s own experience when choosing a secondary school for Ella.
Having watched Ella thrive in her early years at school, the couple expected to find a secondary school with a similar offering – but found the level of experience and expertise at secondary level was not of the same standard.
Dave said: “Snowdon was tough, but Ella was her usual trouper self.
“Our supporters have been great too, and this will help towards our fundraising total of £40,000 so we can launch this programme in classrooms across the country in the coming year.”
The money will go towards equipping all schools with training, resources and ongoing support in subjects such as numeracy, literacy, communication and social interaction, to ensure all teaching staff have the right skills to work with students with Down syndrome.
Visit https://tinyurl.com/msrcmfxd for more information or to donate to the programme.
