Wellington Down Syndrome Association

09/03/2026

International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on 8 March, commemorating women's fight for equality and liberation along with the women's rights movement! Follow your dreams! Follow your goals! To all great women out there! 🦋💪✨️🌎

09/03/2026

🤝💪💪 Joiin un on the 21st of March :) Let's chat and enjoy that great day!

After looking at the importance of taking part and feeling welcome, we now turn to the heart of the matter: our personal connections.

Loneliness is the sad feeling we get when we want to be more connected to others. While inclusive schools and jobs provide the space for connection, it is the quality of our relationships that truly transforms lives.

To replace isolation with belonging, we must prioritize:
💙Peer Friendships: Having close friends who share our interests and talents is a human right. Whether it's through a sports team, a drama club, or just a shared hobby, these bonds make us stronger.
💙 Supportive Families: Families are often the first line of defence against loneliness. Teamwork between families and organisations ensures that no one has to walk the path alone.
💙 Meaningful Partnerships: Everyone has the right to seek a partner and build a life with someone they love. Acknowledging and supporting these aspirations is a vital part of true inclusion.
💙 A Global Network: By speaking up together as a single global voice, we ensure that the rights and well-being of people with Down syndrome are recognized everywhere.

Connection is as vital to our health as a good diet or exercise. When we foster these deep, meaningful bonds, we aren't just "stopping loneliness"—we are building a world where everyone has a place to belong.

What can you do?
Reach out. Whether it's a family member, an old friend, or a colleague, a meaningful conversation can be the start of a long-lasting relationship. Let’s stay .

09/03/2026

💜 International Women’s Day | WDSA

Today we celebrate the women who shape our communities with their care, strength, and determination. From mothers and daughters to friends, leaders, and advocates, wāhine play an incredible role in building a more inclusive world.

At WDSA we are especially proud to celebrate the amazing women with intellectual disabilities in our community. Their voices, talents, and perspectives challenge stereotypes and remind us of the power of belonging and representation.

Today and every day, we stand together to support, uplift, and celebrate one another.

✨ Tag a woman who inspires you or who has made a positive difference in your life.

🥋 Happy International Women’s Day from IHC New Zealand. Today we celebrate the strength, resilience and creativity of wāhine everywhere. Mothers, sisters, friends, trailblazers, and the incredible women with intellectual disabilities who continue to challenge barriers and make their voices heard.

Let’s keep uplifting each other. Tag a woman who has made a difference in your life.

Here’s karate black belt Tessa. A formidable wāhine! ✨

09/03/2026

🧦 11 Days to Go, WDSA World Down Syndrome Day! 🧦

Get ready for a fun day at the park!

Bring your picnic, get ready to ride the train, enjoy face painting, and spend time connecting with our amazing community.

🎨 Don’t forget our Rock Your Socks competition!
Bring your printed template and your creative design on the day, or send it to us anytime before the event.

🏆 The most creative design will win a prize, and the winner will be announced at the celebration!

We can’t wait to celebrate together 💙

06/03/2026

🚂 Special Treat at Our World Down Syndrome Day Celebration!

We have some wonderful news for our event on 21 March at Avalon Park!

Thanks to the generosity of Lions Hutt Host, families attending our celebration will be able to enjoy FREE rides on the Lion Train from 12:30pm to 1:00pm.

✨ Important:
Families wishing to ride should be ready at the platform at 12:30pm, as the train will need to do several trips to get everyone through.

After 1:00pm, the train will continue running until 4:00pm for $3 per person per trip. Bring the whānau and come enjoy the ride, it’s going to be a fun day celebrating together! 💙🧦

06/03/2026

🌞 Inclusion isn’t about lowering expectations, it’s about patience, belief, and creating space for every child to belong.

06/03/2026

🎉🧦 Competition Alert for World Down Syndrome Day! 🧦🎉

Join our “Lots of Socks” creativity competition and celebrate World Down Syndrome Day with us!

It’s super easy to take part:
1️⃣ Download the sock template
2️⃣ Create your own design, paint it, draw it, decorate it, add your wildest ideas!
3️⃣ Send your masterpiece to info@wdsa.co.nz
4️⃣ The winner will be announced here on Facebook on Friday 20 March.

🏆 Prizes will be given to the winner!

We can’t wait to see your colourful, creative sock designs! Let’s celebrate inclusion and have fun together 🧦💙

04/03/2026

Woohoo!🌿 Garden Sale Fundraiser for WDSA! 🌿

Come along and support the Wellington Down Syndrome Association at this lovely community garden sale!

🪴 You’ll find plants, veggies, flowers, cuttings, bulbs, and seedlings perfect for your garden or home.

📅 Saturday 21 March
⏰ 1:00 – 5:00 PM
📍 58 Derwent Street, Island Bay

💛 Gold coin entry donation
All proceeds will support the Wellington Down Syndrome Association.

Bring your friends, discover some beautiful plants, and help support an amazing cause 🌱

04/03/2026

🧦🎉 Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day! 🎉🧦

As part of our World Down Syndrome Day celebrations on 21 March, we invite everyone to join the fun and celebrate diversity!

There are two ways to get involved:

🧦 Wear your most colourful, mismatched socks to celebrate inclusion and show your support.
OR
🎨 Join our colouring competition!
Download the “Lots of Socks” template, colour it in with your most creative ideas, and send it back to us.

🏆 WDSA will award a prize to the winner!

You can download the template here:
https://workdrive.zohoexternal.com/external/81926fe60f981a74d7854630df93f8dd39491581558d80ba704f3c521ae7f5d9

Whether you participate with odd socks, art, or both, we can’t wait to see the creativity from our amazing community!
💙 Join the fun and help us spread awareness and inclusion across Pōneke.

04/03/2026

🎉🧦 Amazing news! 🧦🎉
We are celebrating World Down Syndrome Day together on 21 March and it’s only two weeks away! 💙
Join the Wellington Down Syndrome Association for a relaxed afternoon at the park. We can’t wait to see you there!
Come along for face painting, a picnic together, and the chance to meet other families and people in our community. Let’s share a good time, connect, and celebrate inclusion together.
📍 Avalon Park, Lower Hutt
📅 21 March
⏰ 11:00am – 3:00pm
Everyone is welcome bring your whānau, friends, and your odd socks! 🧦✨ We’re looking forward to celebrating together and seeing our community come together for this special day.
Are you joining us? 🙂

Event link here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CUcAyhnK9/

27/02/2026

Thanks to everyone who came yesterday to our Parent catch up! We had a great time! Looking forward to our next one 💪💜

27/02/2026

WDSA parents, this one’s for you! We’ll cover the cost of the course so you can attend 💜

🎓 Success in School Workshop – Registrations Now Open!

Want to better support learners with Down syndrome in the classroom? This nationally recognised workshop is for you!

📅 2–3 March 2026
💻 Online via Zoom (nationwide access!)
⏰ 8:45am – 2:30pm (within school hours)

💜 12 key topics across 2 comprehensive days
💜 Practical, up-to-date knowledge about learners with Down syndrome
💜 No travel required
💜 Special registration packages available for schools
💜 Established in 2008 – growing every year!

Perfect for teachers, learning support staff, SENCOs, outreach teachers, Ministry staff, parents, grandparents, and carers — anyone wanting to deepen or refresh their understanding.

With an incredible line-up of expert presenters and lived-experience speakers, this is a valuable professional development opportunity you won’t want to miss.

👉 Register now and find full details at:
https://adsa.org.nz/home-2/success-in-school-course/