Children with Down's Syndrome from Oxfordshire and their families enjoyed a free day out at Legoland on Sunday, June 12.
The trip to the children's attraction near Windsor was paid for by by Merlin's Magic Wand, an international that gives special experiences to seriously ill, disabled and disadvantaged children. A group of around 100 members of the Down’s Syndrome Oxfordshire (DSO) group included Elsa Gill whose son Jack, six, has Down's Syndrome.
Elsa, who helped organise the event, said:“We all had a brilliant time at Legoland – Jack absolutely loved exploring the different activities. Having a child with Down’s Syndrome in the family can sometimes be tough and tiring, so a day like this really refreshes parents and siblings, and gives the children with Down’s Syndrome the opportunity to simply have fun. Unfortunately, our charity can’t afford to fund days on this scale like this so everyone was thrilled when we heard that our request to Merlin’s Magic Wand had been granted.”
In 2010 the charity paid for DSO, which provides help and information to families of children with Down's Syndrome, to travel to Chessington's World of Adventures. Hilary Birkinshaw, Merlin’s Magic Wand charity manager, said: “When we received the application from DSO it was clear that these children and their families were a group that we could help and were thrilled to be able to give them their magical experience.
“We recognise that trips like this give families the chance to experience something that they may otherwise not be able to do. Our ultimate aim is ‘Making children smile’ and hopefully our assistance in making this trip possible will go some way to doing that for this deserving set of children.”
