Happy New Year everyone! We hope 2022 is a better year for us all. As the New Year begins we wanted to keep you updated on changes in the charity in 2022. We are sad to announce that our longstanding co-founder and Chair of Trustees is stepping down. We want to thank her for all her hard work , the charity simply wouldn’t exist without her years of commitment and determination. She will be sorely missed.

‘After much consideration and discussion, I have decided to stand down as a Trustee of 21 Together. After 5 years of being the Chair of Trustees, it feels like the right time to hand over the baton to the next team of Trustees to allow the charity to continue to develop and grow. I am sad to be leaving the charity but I know that it is in really good hands and that the current Trustee team are as passionate about supporting our local Kent Down's syndrome community as we have always been.   

21 Together is a far cry from the little charity set up by four mums around my dining table 5 years ago and we are all so very proud of the thriving and growing charity it is today. The charity currently has 7 fabulous Trustees on our board and I have full faith that, led by the incoming Chair of Trustees, Becky, the charity will continue to go from strength to strength. I wish Becky, the Trustees and the excellent 21 Together team lead admirably by Jo, all the best with this next phase of the charity - onwards and upwards!

I would like to thank everyone for your support and friendship and to wish you all the best heading into this new year. Looking forward to seeing you all at some 21 Together events in the future! ‘

We thank Sarah for her leadership to date and wish her every success in the future. We are, as Sarah mentions above, delighted that Becky Clark has been appointed as the new Chair of Trustees. Becky is mum to 2 daughters, one of whom has Down’s syndrome.  She works part time as a veterinary surgeon and has been part of the 21 Together community since her daughter was born.

‘I am thrilled to be taking on the role of Chair of Trustees at 21 Together.  The charity has been an invaluable source of support and guidance for us as a family over the past few years and we love being part of our local Down’s syndrome community.  I am passionate about enabling everyone in our community to access the support they need to reach their potential and live the life they desire.

Along with the rest of the trustee board I’d like to thank Sarah so much for co-founding a charity that has positively impacted so many families and for her dedication which has enabled it to become what it is today.  

Also a huge thanks to Jo and the 21 Together team for all their hard work, particularly over the last couple of years, when the charity has seen such incredible growth and change, all in the midst of a pandemic.’

We are excited to see what 2022 holds for our charity and hope we can continue to grow and provide the support our community wants and needs.