DSEngage

The DSActive DSEngage Project

Helping to transform the lives of children and adults who have Down’s syndrome.

The project encompasses the DSActive and DSEngage programmes which both aim to improve the physical and mental health of people who have Down’s syndrome and have a positive impact on their well-being. Benefits are gained by people who have Down’s syndrome and their families, resulting in positive outcomes for society as a whole.

The DSEngage Programme offers a wide range of free online activity sessions, ranging from discos and exercise sessions through to art and craft and gardening activities. The programme enables access to participation in activity for anyone who has Down’s syndrome regardless of age, level of physical ability, mental health, where they live or who with, or their financial circumstances.

Find out more about the DSEngage programme

The DSActive Programme increases the participation of people who have Down’s syndrome in leisure, recreational and sporting activities. Its aim is to support as many opportunities for successful participation and inclusion in activity as possible.

DSEngage events

Our regular and weekly DSEngage sessions for people who have Down’s syndrome are free to join and we would love you to take part.

Weekly Workout
Mondays | 4.00 – 4.45pm

Get your week started with a fun workout that can be adapted to suit everybody’s fitness level.

Click here to sign up

Evening Disco
Alternate Tuesdays | 7.00 – 8.00pm

Enjoy some great music and share your best dance moves at our evening disco.

Click here to sign up

4pm Disco
Alternate Tuesdays | 4.00 – 5.00 pm

Join us for our 4pm disco – pick your favourite song, turn on your disco lights, and have a dance around your living room.

Click here to sign up

Mr Motivator’s Live Wednesday Workout
Wednesday’s | 6.30 – 7.00 pm

Mr Motivator’s Live Wednesday Workout is 30 minutes of movement to music. Run and managed by Mr Motivator himself, it is a class which is perfect for any age group, any level of fitness and great for the whole family to take part.

Click here to sign up

Wake up and Dance with DanceSyndrome
Thursdays | 9.15 – 10.00am

Join Jen Blackwell and Donna Wheeldon from DanceSyndrome and get your Thursday started with a fun live online dance class.

Click here to sign up

Pilates Plus
Fridays | 4.00 – 4.45pm

Get energised ready for the weekend with a live online session of pilates plus!

Click here to sign up

Download our DSEngage schedule to print out and pop on your fridge or pinboard.

Just click here or on the image below.

The DSEngage programme is a fun and popular programme of free, online activity sessions available to both children and adults who have Down’s syndrome.

DSEngage provides the opportunity to attend at least one activity session each week day/evening. Sessions include exercise workouts, dance sessions, Pilates and incredibly popular weekly disco sessions. Participants’ cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength benefit from actively taking part in the sessions as does their mental health and well being.

Extra events take place at weekends and during special holidays and school holidays, for example Halloween and New Year Disco’s, Summer Holiday Extra sessions with DanceSyndrome and Singing Hands events.

DSEngage Nature Group provides opportunities to get outside and enjoy nature – getting active both physically and positively impacting on well-being.

DSEngage creates a fantastic online community of familiar faces and friends. People with Down’s syndrome can book to join sessions themselves via the accessible online booking system and book to join sessions as it suits their diaries. They can also choose whether or not to invite family/friends that are with them in their home to join in too.

DSEngage sessions are an easy and relaxed option for people who have Down’s syndrome who want to take part in activity. DSEngage provides people who have Down’s syndrome with a safe, inclusive and supported environment in which to participate in activity.

Sadly, for some this is not readily available in person within their local community or support system. Mobility, communication, and social emotional challenges can make attending in-person community activities difficult. These can be overcome when attending DSEngage as can the challenges around finding appropriate support/Personal Assistants, organising transport and the cost of attending. Participants also use DSEngage sessions as a means of supplementing in person activities and maximising opportunities for socialising.

Previous events

Online Clay Course

Our online clay course gives people the chance to try out a brand new activity over the course of four weekly online sessions.

Everything you need to take part is posted to you free of charge. We will also send you a recording of the session so that you can work on your clay during the week if you want to!

The current class is fully booked.

‘In your first pottery team session Ida made a beautiful, little personalised flower vase with an engraved flower on top, thanks to your great wooden tools. She was very chuffed when after following your step by step instructions a vase came along. I am very happy for her.’