Morton in the community is offering a free come and try football session for young people aged 5 – 16. Morton in the community coaches have all undergone training with Down’s Syndrome Scotland.
Date, time and place:Tuesday 17th February 2026 at 3pm – 4pm, Toryglen Regional Football Centre.To find out more about Morton in the community, you can find their website here: mortoncommunity.netTo find out more about Toryglen Region football centre, you can visit: Toryglen Regional Football Centre – Glasgow LifeYou can book you interest with the button below.
When: Tuesday 21st April
Time: 7-8pm
Online via Zoom
Grab a cuppa and join us to share your experiences of dual diagnosis of Down’s syndrome and Autism/ADHD ect – with other parents/carers. We know that every person is an individual however we know that sharing experiences can create a supportive network within our community and a place to feel understood and supported. It also helps us to better understand our communities needs and any information and support that is needed.
Towards the end of 2025 we set up Choir 21 for parents and carers on Zoom at the request of some parents. It proved popular and we are planning to continue with sessions resuming in February. This is open to any parent or carer who is a member of Down’s Syndrome Scotland. We are keeping the format the same with half hour sessions running every 2 weeks – details below.
This is a small time commitment for maximum fun and very useful learning! Please feel free to come along and join in as and when suits – there is no need to commit to coming to each session.
WHAT?: Choir 21 for Parents and Carers on Zoom
WHEN?: Every second Monday 8-8.30PM starting February 2nd.
WHAT HAPPENS?: Learn the Makaton signs to a new song each week then sing and sign along to the song together–recordings of the tutorial and signed song are sent to attendees after each session. Lyrics are emailed prior to each session.
WHY?: Meet other parents of children and adults of all different ages and stages and have a lot of fun learning a very useful skill!
HOW DO I JOIN?: Sign up below and we will send you the recurring Zoom link and and information you need to know
There is no requirement to know Makaton to attend, just come along, learn and have fun. 😊
I look forward to singing and signing with you.
When: Thursday 19th March
Time: 10-11am
At this session we will be joined by Isla Ross, Additional Support for Learning Service with City of Edinburgh Council for a ‘Ready Steady School’ session.
Isla helps support staff in mainstream schools who have pupils with additional support needs in their class. Isla is also a Signalong Tutor as well as a teacher in the Forest School for Care Experienced Young People.
At this starting school session Isla will chat about what to expect going into Secondry school and provide some practical ideas to parents/carers to help make that transition to Secondary a positive experience for the whole family.
We are delighted that we can introduce some more in-person ABC Songs, Stories and Signs sessions for children aged 6-12 years (up to 12th birthday or older depending on communication stage)
Come along to our ABC Songs, Stories and Signs face-to-face event on Sunday 24th May at 11.00am in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 12noon).
Sessions take place at Cill Mhanach Wellness Studio, Redhouse Road, Seafield, West Lothian, EH47 7AL and will be hosted by June Flynn, ABC Tutor, from our Achieving Better Communication (ABC) team.
To attend this event please complete the form below. We will then email a reminder of the details of the event (usually a few days before from abc@dsscotland.org.uk).
Event information:
There is no additional cost for those who subscribe to our ABC programme as it includes monthly face-to-face sessions throughout the year. A £5.00 charge (per session) applies to families who aren’t signed up to the ABC Programme.
The sessions will take place once per month (usually last Sunday of the month) and will feature lots of familiar aspects of our ABC online sessions – songs, Makaton signs, stories and communication activities. Face-face sessions also provide a great opportunity for meeting other parents.
Face-to-face ABC Songs, Stories and Signs sessions will be in addition to weekly online ABC or ABC Anytime sessions, which will continue weekly throughout term time.
Each event can accommodate a maximum of 8 children plus a parent/carer and will be on a first come first served basis. Please book only one ticket per family.
Each event needs to be booked on an individual basis, but more than one session can be booked by each family.
Come along to our ABC Songs, Stories and Signs face-to-face event on Sunday 26th April at 11.00am in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 12noon).
Please come along to our in-person ABC Next Steps session for adults aged 18 years and over on Sunday 24th May at 12.30pm in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 13.45pm).
ABC Next Steps provides a literacy and communication session for adults. You can expect lots of the same activities included in our online sessions – introductions, getting to know you, topic-based conversations and follow up literacy activities and games.
Face-face sessions also provide a great opportunity for adults to meet and continue their communication journey.
Face-to-face ABC Next Steps sessions will be in addition to weekly online ABC or ABC Anytime sessions, which will continue weekly throughout term time.
Each event can accommodate a maximum of 12 adults plus a parent/carer and will be on a first come first served basis. Please book only one ticket per family.
Please come along to our in-person ABC Next Steps session for adults aged 18 years and over on Sunday 26th April at 12.30pm in Seafield, West Lothian (session ends at 13.45pm).
When: Tuesday 2nd June
Jo is the CEO and driving force behind Learn and Thrive. She is a passionate advocate for the community, juggling parenthood with a teenage daughter who has Down’s syndrome and two lively boys.
Her journey began in the NHS as a specialist Neurological Physiotherapist. Later, she ventured into entrepreneurship and founded 21 Together, a charity dedicated to supporting families in the Kent area. She co-founded Learn and Thrive with the aim of ensuring all young people with Down’s syndrome access the specialist tools and support they need for vibrant lives. As of August 2024, she now works full time at Learn and Thrive, pushing the charity forward to support more children and young people every day. For Jo, this isn’t just a job – it’s a lifestyle!
Mairi has worked with Parent to Parent since 2003 and as a parent of a child with physical and learning disability, she wants to support parents in their journey emotionally and practically.
Her role is an early years complex care co-ordinator and she supports all areas of additional need including complex and ASD.
She co-ordinates and chairs children’s planning meetings (Team around the child) from birth until they start nursery. She will support parents at clinics, therapy appointments and nursery/school meetings and has supported transitions to nursery countless times.
Event Details
Wednesday 11th February
1.00-2.00pm
This workshop has been created to allow you to explore what causes the behaviour of the person you care for that you find difficult to manage or hard to change. You will have the opportunity to analyse their behaviour, learn how to understand its function, and develop a support plan specific to them, which can be used to support their personal difficulties with communication and help you to teach them alternative and more appropriate behaviours to communicate and help to develop their confidence and self-esteem.
Tuesday 16th June
7.00-9.00pm
When: Tuesday 12th May
At this session we will be joined by Gillian Hyams from Gillespie MacAndrew to talk about Wills and Trusts.
Gillian is an Associate at Gillespie MacAndrew and advises clients and their families on a wide range of private client work. She is particularly interested in Adults with Incapacity law, and often advises clients on Powers of Attorney, Guardianships, and other issues around Adults with Incapacity Law.