The National Down Syndrome Policy Group

31/10/2026

People with Down syndrome should not have to keep waiting for the support they were promised.

Awareness is important. But awareness alone is not enough.

We need action. We need accountability. And we need the guidance to be published.

📢 OUR CAMPAIGN DOES NOT END ON 31 OCTOBER.

We will keep speaking up, asking questions and campaigning until the voices of people with Down syndrome are heard and meaningful change happens.

📮 There's still time to write to your MP.

Our Easy Read letter-writing pack is available here:

🔗 https://ndspg.org/october-campaign/

To every person with Down syndrome who has spoken up, written a letter, attended a meeting or shared their story — THANK YOU.

You are the reason we do this. 💗

OUR VOICES. OUR RIGHTS. OUR FUTURE.

30/10/2026

📮💗 TED WROTE TO HIS MP — AND HIS MP WROTE BACK! 👏

What a fantastic example of self-advocacy in action!

A huge WELL DONE to Ted from Cornwall Down’s Syndrome Support Group, who wrote to his MP about the continued delay in publishing the Down Syndrome Act guidance.

And Ted received a brilliant response from Ben Maguire MP, who confirmed that he:

✅ Supports the publication and implementation of the guidance.

✅ Has signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for answers and a clear timetable.

✅ Has forwarded Ted's letter to the Prime Minister through parliamentary channels.

Four years after the Down Syndrome Act became law, people with Down syndrome are still waiting for the guidance that was promised.

💗 Thank you, Ted, for making your voice heard, and thank you to Ben Maguire MP for listening and taking action!

📢 WILL YOU FOLLOW TED'S EXAMPLE?

Our National Down Syndrome Policy Group Advisory Group has created an Easy Read letter-writing pack to help people write to their MPs.

✍️ Read the letter.
📮 If you agree, sign it and send it.
🗣️ Make your voice heard!

🔗 Download your free Easy Read pack:
https://ndspg.org/october-campaign/

OUR VOICES. OUR RIGHTS. OUR FUTURE.

21/10/2026

💗📮 DOWN’S SYNDROME LANCASHIRE HAS ANSWERED OUR CALL TO ACTION!

What a fantastic example of people with Down syndrome making their voices heard! 👏

A huge THANK YOU to Down’s Syndrome Lancashire and everyone who took part in their recent I Choose member voice meeting at Rossendale Family Hub.

Using the Easy Read resources created by our National Down Syndrome Policy Group Advisory Group, members came together to discuss the Down Syndrome Act and the continued delay in publishing its statutory guidance.

And they didn't stop at talking!

✍️ They wrote letters to their MPs asking for support.

📮 They took their letters to the postbox.

💗 They made their voices heard!

Four years after the Down Syndrome Act became law, we are still waiting for the guidance to be published.

Down’s Syndrome Lancashire has taken action. Will your group be next?

We're encouraging Down syndrome organisations, self-advocacy groups, families and individuals across the country to get involved.

📖 Download our Easy Read letter-writing pack, including prepared letters and simple step-by-step instructions:

🔗 https://ndspg.org/october-campaign/

👏 Thank you to everyone at Down’s Syndrome Lancashire for showing what we can achieve when we come together.

OUR VOICES. OUR RIGHTS. OUR FUTURE.

20/10/2026

💗 OUR VOICES. OUR RIGHTS. OUR FUTURE.

Earlier this September, members of the National Down Syndrome Policy Group took their campaign to the door of 10 Downing Street. 🇬🇧

Their message was clear.

🗣️ We want answers about the Down Syndrome Act guidance.

🗣️ We want our voices to be heard.

🗣️ We want a say in decisions that affect our lives.

Four years after the Down Syndrome Act became law, people with Down syndrome are still waiting for the guidance that could help improve the support and services they receive.

Throughout Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we're sharing the voices and experiences of our Advisory Group members and highlighting the issues that matter most to them.

You can help make their voices heard.

📩 Write to your MP using our Easy Read letter-writing pack.

🔗 https://ndspg.org/october-campaign/

19/10/2026

Great advocacy from Lancashire during awareness month

15/10/2026

A packed APPGDS AGM with two important conversations: the fabulous Fair Shot Café CIC team showcasing their work supporting people with Down syndrome into employment, and the NDSPG Advisory Group highlighting ongoing concerns about delays to the publication of the Down Syndrome Act 2022 Guidance.

Great discussions, valuable insights and, most importantly, the opportunity to hear directly from people with Down syndrome about their experiences.

Thank you to everyone who joined us!

15/10/2026

📮💗 HE WROTE TO HIS MP… AND THEY WROTE BACK!

A huge THANK YOU and WELL DONE to Ben, one of our National Down Syndrome Policy Group Advisory Group members! 👏

Ben answered our October campaign call to action and wrote to his MP about the Down Syndrome Act and why the guidance matters.

And guess what? He received a letter back offering support! 💗

This is why we're encouraging everyone to make their voices heard.

Four years after the Down Syndrome Act became law, we are still waiting for the statutory guidance to be published.

Every letter is an opportunity to remind MPs why this matters.

📮 NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!

We've created an Easy Read letter-writing pack to help you:

📖 READ the letter.
✍️ SIGN it if you agree.
📮 POST it to your MP.

You can ask someone you trust to help.

💗 Thank you, Ben, for showing us that our voices matter!

📩 Download your Easy Read pack:
https://ndspg.org/october-campaign/

Have you written to your MP yet? We'd love to hear from you!

14/10/2026

🎻 Congratulations to Emmanuel Bishop, who has been awarded a Ruby’s Rainbow WildCat Guitars Scholarship to support his continuing violin studies!

Emmanuel, who is also an advocate for people with Down syndrome, has already performed at Carnegie Hall and hopes to continue performing concerts around the world.

What a wonderful achievement! Congratulations, Emmanuel! 👏💜

Emmanuel J. Bishop is entering his second year at the Community Music School of Webster University, continuing his lifelong dedication to violin as this year’s Ruby’s Rainbow WildCat Guitars Scholarship recipient. His program has no traditional graduation date, since for Emmanuel, violin is a li...

12/10/2026

💗 THEY DID THEIR BIT. FOUR YEARS LATER, THEY ARE STILL WAITING.

Four years ago, families in Cheshire came together to share their views and experiences about the Down Syndrome Act.

They gave their time, shared their challenges and explained what needed to change to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome.

They believed their voices would help shape better services and support.

Four years later, the statutory guidance is still not published.

These families did their bit. Now it's time for the Government to do theirs.

📮 WE NEED YOUR HELP!

This Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we're asking people with Down syndrome, their families, friends and supporters to write to their MP.

We've created an Easy Read letter-writing pack to make it simple.

📖 Read the letter.
✍️ If you agree, add your name and sign it.
📮 Send it to your MP.

You can ask someone you trust to help.

📩 Download your Easy Read pack here:
https://ndspg.org/october-campaign/

💗 Our voices. Our rights. Our future.

10/10/2026

A deeply moving and heartbreaking account from Aaron John Huxter, whose eight-year-old daughter Olivia-Grace, who had Down syndrome, died suddenly in October last year.

Speaking about his much-loved daughter, Aaron says:

“I’m sorry you never got to meet her.”

And, in words that are particularly poignant:

“She was so incredible she deserves to be missed every day.”

Our hearts go out to Aaron, Melanie and everyone who knew and loved Olivia-Grace. 💜

Olivia-Grace's father says his world crumbled when his daughter died after falling in school.