A little later than planned we wanted to reflect on the past year as a team and thank everyone for supporting, collaborating and carrying the banner for the Black Child Down Syndrome (BCDS) Project; our why, the impact the importance of continuing the work that we do here at BCDS is so personal to us all; when asked to sum up the year, here is what the founders had to say.
This year has been a powerful reminder of why this work matters so deeply. Being part of this project has been affirming on every level; from the relationships we’ve built to the visibility we’ve created together. Families have been truly centred, in a way superior to how we first envisioned and I am bursting with pride about being able to achieve and contribute to that. But more than this, we’ve helped move the needle in making it permissible to celebrate both our differences AND our sameness, alongside our wider community.
Watching our ideas grow into moments that challenge perceptions and create pride, has been incredibly meaningful. Each collaboration, each space we’ve held, has reinforced that representation changes lives; not just for these children, but for everyone who gets to witness them fully seen and valued. The payoff has been real, lasting impact, and a deep sense that what we are building will continue to open doors long after the year ends.
Marsha Martin – CEO Black SEN Mamas
We’ve had an absolutely amazing year. Firstly, it’s been incredible to work with such a wonderful team. From the co-founders to the creative team, Misan Harriman, Rosie Ross and Rosie Russell, Hope 93 Gallery, Ocean Outdoors, and all of the people who made our two main events happen.
It was so powerful to see everyone who came to the exhibition back in March and to hear their wonderful responses. It really made it all worth it. People came from all over the UK because they had never seen anything like it before, and to see these children affirmed, seeing themselves represented, was more than words could describe. And then, to have our dreams become reality with our children’s pictures as part of the ten-minute takeover in Piccadilly Circus was monumental. My son pointed at his picture and said, “there’s me,” and my heart filled right up, because in that moment, he was visible.
Oneness Sankara – T21 Alchemy
Being part of the Black Child Down Syndrome Project has been deeply personal for me. As a mother who has lived between Nigeria, the UK, and the USA, I have felt the weight of both silence and exclusion, the moments when my child was treated as something to hide, and the systems that quietly fail families through neglect and long waits for support.
Seeing our children’s faces light up the Piccadilly Lights was overwhelming, and reminded me just how powerful the everyday voice of a parent can be when we refuse shame, reject invisibility, and choose to advocate openly.
I am not only part of this incredible foursome of mothers behind BCDS, sharing a journey and a vision, but I am also deeply aware of how life-giving my Naija connections have been. I am truly grateful to Misan, Aki, and others in the Nigerian community who helped shine this light so publicly.
BCDS has reaffirmed for me that real change begins when parents stop accepting the limits placed on their children and start insisting on their full humanity.
Tonye Faloughi-Ekezie – CEO Simone’s Oasis
Real representation costs nothing, yet inclusion can mean everything. I am incredibly proud of the co-founders of this project, four friends and mothers who came together with trust, courage, and a shared belief that our dreams were worth pursuing.
When I started Panda’s Tree – Black Down Syndrome UK, visibility for families like ours in the UK was almost nonexistent. There were scattered examples globally, but it often felt as though no one had asked who wasn’t seated at the Down syndrome table. Looking back on what we achieved last year is deeply emotional. This work is profoundly personal, and reflecting on it still brings me to tears. I wanted my child, and others like her, to see themselves represented boldly within the community. To see their beauty, strength, grace, and ability not just acknowledged, but celebrated.
None of this would have been possible without the trust of the families who shared their stories and their children with us. It wasn’t easy, yet they believed in the bigger vision and chose to walk this journey alongside us. I am deeply grateful to Misan, Aki, Demi, the Rosies, Oceans Outdoors, and the wider team and community who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.
From the Reflecting Radiance exhibition to the Piccadilly Lights, we imagined what was possible, and made it real. It has been an extraordinary year. From those moments, countless collaborations have grown, and for that we are truly grateful. It has been an extraordinary year. Thank you all for your continued support, belief, and commitment to this work.
Danise B. Grant – Founder Panda’s Tree – Black Down syndrome UK
