Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association receives 'big boost' thanks to Freedom of the City honour

Founded in 2010 and now supporting more than 200 families and 100 schools across the south coast, Portsmouth Down Syndrome Association (PDSA) is set to receive the Freedom of the City from Portsmouth City Council on Monday, January 9.

It comes after a stand-out year for the organisation, which celebrated a world-first when its work on a bill to Down syndrome became law in April 2022.

Now the Freedom of the City honour will act as a ‘big boost’ in the group’s efforts to address the ‘scary’ levels of misinformation remain about people with Down syndrome, according to PDSA’s founder, Rachael Ross MBE.

She said: ‘It is quite scary how misinformed people are. The other day we had someone in a school who wouldn’t sit next to a pupil with Down syndrome because they thought that they would catch it. We had an educational assembly – these things are easily overcome.

‘There’s still out-dated stereotypes – but not through malice.’

Commenting on the city’s honour, she added: ‘It was a bit of a surprise. We are mainly we run by volunteers so it gives the volunteers a thank you and a big boost. No one does it for the recognition but when it does happen it boosts everyone’s morale.

‘It also gives us more credibility and helps with fundraising.’

The honour is testament to the hard work of committed team of roughly 20 volunteers and hundreds of more part time volunteers, including hundreds who volunteer to support and promote the organisation across the weekend for the Great South Run every year.

Rachael added: ‘We’re always looking for volunteers. We always need people to help with events, we will need help with the running of the new centre.’

PDSA is set to move to its new home in a centre in Aspen House, in Airport Service Road in the coming months.

Rachael’s husband and the organisation’s co-founder, Ken Ross, said: ‘We’re excited to talk to every business in that business estate and put the charity on their radar.’

While the organisation has largely avoided disruption from the cost of living crisis, fundraising has become more challenging, according to Rachael.

She said: ‘We have definitely seen more competition with grants.’

Ken added: ‘We’ve had some practitioners have put some of their rates up and we need to be sympathetic for people who are working with us. But thankfully we have almost no staffing overheads because so many people volunteer their time.

‘We don’t want to be complacent about the cost of living. Were mindful that donations come from small donations, thousands of them.’

Ken and Rachael’s son Max has Down syndrome, and was the inspiration behind the couple launching their charity.

In 2021, PDSA won the Queen's Award for voluntary service and volunteers received special royal recognition for their efforts to keep the charity operational and adapting services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Freedom of the City is an honour which is bestowed upon prominent local individuals or institutions.

Acclaimed people have usually been judged to have contributed ‘outstanding services to the community’, according to Portsmouth City Council’s website.