Members News
Shabang 2014 calendar OUT NOW!
Shabang! Inclusive Learning is thrilled to launch its new calendar for 2014 with a difference. Shabang! is an arts charity working in Slaithwaite near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, specialising in designing and delivering creative projects for children with additional needs and their families.
This colourful 2014 calendar features children and young adults from their projects and its theme this year is “Passion for Fashion’. Each page is a mini fashion shoot showing fashion trends through the years and is accompanied by the appropriate Makaton symbols and signs courtesy of The Makaton Charity. Makaton is a language programme designed specifically for children with communication and learning disabilities and so the calendar will be a perfect educational tool for both schools and families.
More importantly Shabang! see the children featured in the calendar as much more than models – they are role models. Images of people with learning needs are few and far between in the media or in educational resources. “Raising positive awareness and celebrating our children is definitely the name of the game“ says Kim Reuter from Shabang! ” we aim to challenge perceptions and celebrate difference”
The calendar is also raising money this year for a cause very dear to Shabang!’s heart – “Team Rowan” and The SMA Trust (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). Rowan Poole was only 18 months old when she died from the condition. She regularly attended activities run by Shabang! and each calendar sold will raise money for the Trust.
Working alongside photographer Mike Barratt from Frogs Design, Shabang! has created richly designed backdrops for each month featuring a range of fashion trends –including a Mary Quant black and white sixties inspired page; a gothic tableau; and a rock ‘n’ roll pin up.
The calendar celebrates a range of models from 8 months to adults and all have additional needs including Down syndrome, autism and complex needs.
Local Huddersfield print firm Brooke and Learoyd are printing the calendar again and managing directors and brothers Tim and Dan are taking part in a marathon to raise money for Shabang!
SHABANG receive funding from The BIG Lottery Fund and Kirklees Council.
Contact Kim on 01484 848073 / shabang.info@gmail.com or visit their website to order your copy now!
Twitter @shabangtheatre Facebook Shabang Appreciation page
HDSSG FUNDRAISER 29/11/2013
After the great success of the Body Shop Fundraiser we held last year, our events coordinators Nicola & Renata have planned another! This time introducing 2 more local businesses (coincidently run by parents of our members) who are donating a percentage of takings back to HDDSG on the night.
FRENZ specialises in handbags, jewellery and scarves to suit all budgets and can also offer parties in your own home & gift vouchers too.
Simply Solids brings an ever growing range of solid cottons to compliments every kind of sewing project under the sun. Justine will be bringing a range of handmade cushions, aprons, purses, baby dribble bibs and lots more!
The Body Shop needs no introduction I’m sure. There will be some great pre Christmas offers from our representative on the night.
We will also be holding a raffle and a cake & refreshment stall (donations welcomed!) We are raising funds to be able to sustain our Speech & Language provision for our children as well as to help our post 16 social enterprise initiative KromaZONE21.
So tell all your friends and join us at the Watershed in Slaithwaite for a shopping/social soirée! Hope to see you there!
Huddersfield BOK Swimmers excel at the Special Olympic Games, Bath 2013
Our Borough Of Kirklees Special Needs Squad based at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield; their amazing coaches and families returned triumphant from the Special Olympic Summer Games today.
Jack Drennan, Aisling Connelly, Zoe Rank, Ruben Reuter, Joanne Kempley, Rebekah Hill and Ben Sweeney competed over 3 days at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre in Bristol. Along with coaches Gemma Hill-Wood and Ed Lim they were part of a team representing Yorkshire & Humberside at the Games.
A vibrant Opening Ceremony for the 9th National Summer Games took place on Wednesday 28 August at the iconic Royal Crescent in Bath.
The event began with the Athletes’ Parade, which saw 19 delegations from around Great Britain making their way to their seats near the stage.
1700 athletes, over 500 coaches, along with hundreds of Games volunteers and family members gathered for an evening of entertainment which included the appearance of Special Olympics GB Ambassador and actor Colin Salmon and singer Susan Boyle.
Thursday was day one of competitions and news was relayed back to HDSSG via the power of twitter from our fabulous supporting families. It wasn’t long before reports of our first medal winner came in, Ben Sweeney claimed silver medal position after an exciting finish in the 100m individual medley.
HDSSG’s phone nearly melted with the results coming in from the venue on Friday! Zoe was the first award winner from our Super Seven claiming 4th place in the first race of the day – we were off to a cracking start!
Zoe was swiftly followed by Aisling with another fabulous 4th place in the 25m backstroke, then Jack Drennan struck gold! There was little time to celebrate as Rebekah took bronze medal place in the 50m breaststroke and Joanne hit silver medal status too! Incredible! But we weren’t done yet. Another flurry of runner’s up ribbons, a glorious gold for Zoe, silver for Jack and the bronze & gold medals from youngest member of the team Ruben Reuter sealed our Fantastic Friday.
International swimming champion Joanne Kempley kept the medal count climbing ever higher on Saturday by taking silver place in her relay event. Ruben Reuter also placing in the relay on the last day of competition with another bronze medal. It was BOK swimmer Ben Sweeney who took things to another level setting a European Record in the 100m backstroke and claiming silver with a time of 1:24:03.
Over the 3 days of competition our 7 Borough Of Kirklees swimmers had amassed 14 medals, several runner up ribbons and some great PB times. An amazing achievement.
Joanne’s mum Chris Kempley made this fantastic four minute film to give just an insight into the time our team had at the Games.
You will also be able to see our Super Seven feature in BBC1’s Inside Out on Monday 2nd September at 7.30pm – TUNE IN!
HDSSG would like to thank the Games makers, our fundraisers, the BOK coaches our members and their families for making this Summer so inspirational.
Ultra12 – 12 days, 12 counties, 12 ultramarathons!
In 2014 Tony Holland and Steve Major are going to run 12 back to back Ultramarathons in the UK. This will be achieved by running 50 kilometres in each of the twelve UK regions over a 12 day period.
Steven and Tony will be completing these events to raise awareness and money for Disability Activity as well as local Down Syndrome / Autism charities in each region. The Yorkshire & Humberside leg will be run in aid of our very own Huddersfield Down Syndrome Support Group!!!
We cannot thank Steve & Tony enough for the amazing challenge they are undertaking that will benefit not only our group but many more charities. We will look forward to bringing you more news on this as we hear it.
Huddersfield Swimming Champion Stars In Coca Cola Ad
Huddersfield’s Joanne Kempley is a World Champion swimmer. She swims with the Borough Of Kirklees additional needs squad and along with 6 other team mates will be representing Yorkshire & Humberside later this month in the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games.
Joanne has been selected by Games sponsor Coca Cola to be the face of swimming for the advertising campaign and her image along with the official video – ‘Let Me Win’ – that showcases 12 of the 1700 inspirational athletes taking part in the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games will be shown on giant screens and billboards in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
The Special Olympics GB National Summer Games run from August 28th to September 1st in Bath, you can find out more and follow progress of the athletes by visiting their official website HERE
We hope you will join us in getting behind ALL the athletes taking part in the Games but especially our home grown talent from right here in Huddersfield! GO TEAM GO!!
West Yorkshire firefighters raise thousands for HDSSG
Firefighters from across West Yorkshire took part in one of the biggest events in the emergency services calendar – the annual MJ Quinn UK Firefighters Sailing Challenge.
Huddersfield Watch Commander Darren Bagley has led West Yorkshire’s sailing team since 2006, and since then the 32-strong crew has gone from strength to strength. The team has raised over £13000 to date. Each year the service enters four teams in the three-day event, which took place in The Solent from April 30th to May 2nd 2013.
Raising thousands of pounds for charities over the years, the team won the event in 2009 and 2012. This is the second year running that the generous firefighters have supported Huddersfield Down Syndrome Support Group. In 2012 they raised £1220 and this year an incredible £1713 was donated to our charity, bringing a total raised of £2933!!
We cannot thank you enough for your generosity!!
We would also like to thank West Yorkshire fire service sailing team’s kind sponsors – Craig Leslie of The Woodman Inn Thunderbridge, Chris Lee of Lucas Lee and partners chartered surveyors and Mike Gallagher of nationwide bathrooms.com. Also sponsoring the team were Concerto support services of Cheshire, thanks to Kevan Davey.