Ultimate girls' night out in Kells for Down's Syndrome

The Honey Days national campaign starts this week and volunteers from the Louth and Meath branch of Down's Syndrome Ireland hope to raise enough funds to keep their local projects going. They will be collecting money on the streets and in the shopping centres of Meath during the month of October and, this year, there will be little honey pots, sponsored by The Boyne Valley Honey group, for sale. Meanwhile, the ultimate girls night out will take place in the Headfort Arms Hotel, Kells, on 2nd October in aid of the Louth-Meath branch. The night will take the form of an array of beauty treatments, coupled with unique entertainment, with all proceeds going to Down's Syndrome Ireland. The number of people with Down's Syndrome in this area is at a record high and over 200 families are now registered with the local branch. "Since we are a voluntary organisation, we have no overheads, so every euro raised goes back into helping local people with Down's Syndrome. Fundraising is vital to the branch as we get minimal funding from the government and a very high proportion of the money we need to run the branch's many projects relies on funds raised by our members and supporters. The money raised also supports the National Resource Centre for Down's Syndrome," said spokeswoman, Christina Quinn. "We do appreciate that times are difficult and really appreciate any support that you can give. The local branch are extremely busy at the moment. We provide speech and drama classes for members in Navan, Drogheda and Dundalk. We are developing activities for teenagers and adults, some of which got off to a great start over the summer. We are also in the process of starting a speech therapy service for the branch, so there is a lot of work going on." The brach's biggest expenditure is the home teacher programme. The cost of the programme in the coming year is estimated at €80,000. In 2009, the branch received approximately six per cent of this as a grant from the HSE, as well as about 22 per cent from a National Lottery towards the cost of this vital programme. "The remaining 72 per cent is raised through fundraising and voluntary donations. It is one of the most successful services for children with Down's Syndrome in the country and 57 children between one and six are currently working with a team of qualified home teachers to prepare them for school. This early intervention can make a huge difference in enabling our children to live as fulfilling a life as possible," Ms Quinn added. The Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells will host the ultimate girls' night out where cocktails will be served by "eyecatching members" of the fire and rescue service. Guests will even be able to try their hand at belly dancing with a professional group performing. Those who wish to party into the small hours can avail of complimentary entry into the Vibe nightclub. Tickets for the event are €10 with and can be purchased from the Headfort Arms Hotel on (046) 924 0063 or by contacting the Louth-Meath branch of Down's Syndrome Ireland via the website www.dsilmb.ie