About us


Candles was founded in 2021 by a group of local parents passionate about supporting children with Down syndrome and their loved ones. Our members come from all over Essex and Suffolk, with most of our events taking place in and around Colchester.

We provide heavily subsidised activities, clubs and specialist sessions to promote independence, confidence and development of key skills. All of our events are inclusive and we strive to offer a safe and happy environment for all the children including their siblings. Our goal is to help our children reach their potential by supporting them and their families at the earliest possible stage.

Support

We believe peer-to-peer support is crucial. Candles has over 100 families with years of experience of raising children with Trisomy 21. Some areas we aim to help each other in are:


  • Support for expectant parents
  • Advice on education and EHCPs
  • Advice on how to apply for financial help
  • Sharing vital information
  • Promoting inclusion
  • Raising positive awareness

Activities

  • Sing and Sign baby & toddler sessions
  • Toddler Sense
  • Cooking classes
  • Musical Theatre
  • Dance
  • Football
  • Tennis
  • Multi-sports
  • Gymnastics
  • Swimming
  • Soft play
  • Art classes
  • Animal experiences
  • Little City
  • Theatre trips
  • Christmas parties
  • Mums’ respite nights

In future we hope to provide:

  • Makaton training
  • Speech & Language therapy
  • Physiotherapy