About T21

About Our Charity

We are a charity registered with the Charities Commission in 2018, number 1180389. Our stated aim is “to provide meaningful work opportunities and social interaction for young people with Down’s Syndrome in the wider Peterborough area”. The trustees of our charity all have experience of working with and living with children with Down’s Syndrome. As a result we all recognise the challenge faced by our young people when they reach their teenage years and adulthood in finding their place in the world.

To help them we are aiming to build and run a community cafe run by young people with Down’s Syndrome. We are seeking to work with local partners on developing an environment where young people can perform meaningful working roles and engage in social interaction.

We are led by a board of eight trustees with diverse and rich experiences in work both with young people with Down’s Syndrome and with the running of community projects.

Our Mission Statement:

To enable adults with Down Syndrome to fulfill their potential through meaningful work opportunities within a community.

Maggie Scott (chair)

Maggie Scott is a former teacher and head teacher who has been a trustee with Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome Group for 10 years and is the secretary for the group. Her main roles in the group are providing activities in drop in sessions, organising social activities for teenagers and applying for grants for widening experience to enable its members to reach their full potential. Maggie’s older brother Ian Mackay had Down’s Syndrome. Maggie’s inspiration in creating T21 has been seeing its members grow up and have very little in the way of work opportunities.

Lynne Faulder

Lynne works in local government and has over thirty years public sector experience including in management and partnership working. She holds a Masters degree in Business Administration. She is a mum of four children, the youngest are identical twin girls who both have Down’s Syndrome. Lynne and her family have benefited greatly from the support and opportunities provided by Peterborough Area Down Syndrome Group and Lynne is a trustee of the charity.

Miranda Rock

Miranda Rock is the House Director of Burghley House Preservation Trust and a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.  She is a Governor of Stamford Endowed Schools and Trustee and Patron of a number of charities in her local community that support the elderly and the vulnerable.   She and her family are active members of the Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome Group and she is the mother of Cosmo who has Down’s Syndrome. Cosmo is 17 and has ambitions to be a spy, a film producer and a drummer in a rock band.

Johanna Roberts

Johanna Roberts is a retired GP and also was a volunteer Portage worker for several years – giving back to help others for what she was given to help her son when he was little.  She is chair of the Peterborough Special Olympic Swimming Group, a swimming club for people with learning disabilities. She also makes short videos to showcase the work of both PSOSG and PADSG. Johanna has a son, William, who has Down’s Syndrome. William is 19 years old. He is currently gaining work experience with a Grounds and Gardens team as he studies horticulture at college.  His greatest achievement is being part of the Down Syndrome Swimming GB team and swimming in Paris at the European Championships. When he is not busy doing swimming training or a gym session, he loves to listen to music and practice his dance moves ready for the next disco!

Laura Tilley

Laura has chaired the Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome Group for the last five years, during a period of significant growth and evolution for the group. She is mum to Hannah, Ruby and Gracie. Ruby has Down’s Syndrome and Laura and her family are very active members of the Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome group, taking great pride in their family.

Kim Richardson (Treasurer)

Kim was the original Treasurer in 1998 when the Peterborough branch of the Down Syndrome Association (DSA) was opened. In 2002, she was involved in developing the branch into its own registered charity, the Peterborough Area Down Syndrome Group. From those small beginnings, a wonderfully supportive charity has flourished, helping many children and adults with Down Syndrome and their families in our local area including Kim’s own family of 3 boys. She has returned to the treasurer role in 2018 as her middle son Sean, who has Down Syndrome, has become an adult. She looks forward to helping T21 support our older members to gain life and work skills, a service so badly needed in our local community.