That Down Syndrome Podcast

The TDSP team are very excited to host their first podcast over the interwaves! Steve and Lucy share a fantastic time talking with Jo Aiyathurai and Laura Powell from Learn and Thrive and with Maya Patil - a super inspirational young lady with Down syndrome who lives in Hertfordshire (despite Steve's repeated insistence that she lives in Herefordshire!). Jo explains her journey as a mum of a daughter with Down syndrome, which saw her initially set up the Kent-based DS support group 21 Together before then branching out with a dedicated team, including digital marketing officer Laura, to create the Learn and Thrive project, which supports learners with Down’s syndrome to access specialist resources to help them, well...learn and thrive! We also chat with Maya about her super-packed, college-attending, horse-riding, acting and performing, Instagram starring and frequent Learn and Thrive-collaborating life! We also find out who prefers a real Xmas tree over a fake, who likes mince pies over Xmas pud, who is having turkey vs a nut roast (*ahem, Laura!) and where everyone stands on sprouts!(We also discover that Steve likes to say the words 'nuance' and 'complex' quite a lot!)To find out more about Learn and Thrive visit their website hereDiscover more about Maya via her Instagram page: @be_more_mayaEnjoy.Don't forget you can join the conversation by emailing: podcast@dscheshire.org.uk

Steve and Lucy are delighted to welcome superstar guest, Ben Wilson to the TDSP bunker where they talk about his lifelong love of dance, which led Ben to become an associate artist at Cheshire Dance and an invitation to curate and perform an original piece of choreography for this year's Kaleidoscope festival at StoryHouse Live in Chester. They also spend FAR too much time discussing CenterParcs, their favourite pasta and the best movie version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (*cough* Gene Wilder).Enjoy.Don't forget you can join the conversation by emailing: podcast@dscheshire.org.uk

In episode 3 of our (soon-to-be award-winning) podcast, the #iChooseBoard welcome the newly-elected MP for Mid Cheshire, Andrew Cooper to the TDSP bunker. We broke the ice by going around the room, asking how everyone had spent their summer - full disclosure, Andrew went to Zakynthos - before then reminding ourselves about the recent #iChooseBoard meeting when we discussed the then-upcoming General Election and how we learned about the process of voting (using Lucy's brilliant easy-read materials). Then, after a quick coffee break, it was time to squirrel Andrew into the podcast bunker to start the grilling! He was a brilliant guest, deftly answering everything from "How much does an MP get paid?", to "What does the House of Commons smell like?" and everything in between. Although, we'll be honest; He will need to employ some considerable spin doctoring if he's to weather the political storm that will make landfall once the listening public learns of his answer to "What's your favourite biscuit?"!Enjoy!And don't forget; If you'd like to join the conversation, email us at: podcast@dscheshire.org.uk

As the rest of the TDSP team heads off for the summer break, Steve and Lucy take the opportunity to make this second episode all about employment, enterprise and Tedx talks i.e. IT'S ALL ABOUT LUCY! And rightly so after her triumphant performance and the recent Tedx Northwich speaking event. Lucy takes us on a journey from her early beginnings as an early-year's teaching assistant, through her degree and Master's - which brought her to DSC - and then right up to date with her Tedx Talk (which you can now view exclusively by clicking the link below). And Steve? Well, Steve just tries to stop Umming and Errring and smacking his lips (bty, he doesn't manage this). So, we hope you enjoy this second episode and remind you that you can get in touch with us at any time by using the email below.Enjoy!Email the pod: podcast@dscheshire.org.ukWatch Lucy's Tedx talk here

Steve, Lucy and Ben are VERY excited to bring you the inaugural episode of this soon-to-be-award-winning podcast series...can you tell?!Once they finished talking about what they did at the weekend (Ben watched the football, Lucy presented her very first Tedx Northwich seminar to a packed theatre and to some very proud parents! And Steve? Well, Steve mowed the lawn...and wasn't at the British Grand Prix) and obsessing over Lucozade they got down to business, deciding the best thing to do in the first episode of a podcast involving the Down syndrome community was to explain what Down syndrome is! Ben did this brilliantly whilst casually slipping into the conversation that he was born in Malta - which surprised Steve...as he was too (just for transparency and disclosure, Lucy was born in Chester). The team had a great first ep covering all bases Down syndrome, whilst REALLY hoping that England beat the Netherlands in that evening's Euro Semi-Final - with Ben hoping that Palmer is brought on to help with this (Steve doesn't know who Palmer is!). Anyway...enjoy everyone!Visit Down Syndrome Cheshire at: www.dschesire.org.ukJoin in the pod conversation at: podcast@dscheshire.org.uk