Joy 21 Trustee’s Annual Report
April 2023- April 24
Joy 21’s mission is to share the message of joy and positivity to all new and expectant parents of a child that just happens to have Down syndrome. Joy 21 has partnered with the American charity PALS to bring their wonderful ‘Congratulations Project’ books here to Northern Ireland, to be given to new and expectant parents of babies that have Down Syndrome.
Our proceeds go towards producing our New Parents Congratulations Packs which contain the Congratulations book, along with the details of local support groups for that area, and some gifts for the new parents/arrival. We have continued to develop and build our packs which now contain the Congratulations Project book, a T-shirt for the new baby which states, ‘Born to take on the World’, our 3-star congratulations bracelets for the parents/guardians and a letter from us.
During the 2023-2024 period, the charity faced unforeseen challenges due to personal circumstances affecting the trustees. As a result, the charity's usual activities were significantly limited. Despite these difficulties, the trustees remain committed to the charity’s mission and are working towards re-engaging with its objectives in the coming year.
We have continued to receive wonderful feedback regarding our packs, from a variety of sources, including midwifes, nurses, pediatricians, therapists, Mums, Dads and families. We are delighted to be able to provide this message of joy and positivity to new parents at a time of uncertainty.