About Us
About Down's Syndrome Manchester
At Down's Syndrome Manchester, we believe everyone deserves to be included, supported and celebrated.
We are an inclusive, welcoming charity supporting individuals with Down's syndrome and their families from diagnosis through to adulthood. Our community brings people together, creating friendships and connections while providing practical and emotional support, information, education and access to opportunities.
We are here for every stage of the journey. From our preschool and social groups to family support, professional training, activities and employability programmes, everything we do is designed to help individuals with Down's syndrome and their families feel supported, connected and able to thrive.
Our ambition is bigger than the services we provide. We want to help create a more inclusive world where every person with Down's syndrome is visible, valued and given the opportunity to reach their potential.
Our shop. Our community.
Our online shop is another way to be part of that community.
Every product has been chosen to give our families, friends and supporters something they can enjoy, wear, use or give with pride. By choosing Down's Syndrome Manchester merchandise, you're not only supporting the work we do – you're helping take our name and our message into workplaces, schools, homes and communities.
Every mug on a desk, T-shirt being worn, water bottle at the gym or bag carried down the street helps make our community a little more visible. And every purchase helps us continue creating opportunities for individuals with Down's syndrome and their families.
Find something you'll love. Thrive with us.
Our approved merchandise partner
Down's Syndrome Manchester has appointed Urban Planet Ltd as our approved print, merchandise and online shop partner.
Urban Planet is a UK-based print, promotional and branding organisation providing print, packaging, branded merchandise, fulfilment, logistics and support services to organisations across the UK and internationally.
They are the team behind the Down's Syndrome Manchester online shop – working with us to create our merchandise collection and producing and distributing the products you order.
Why make something nobody has asked for?
At Down's Syndrome Manchester, we believe merchandise should be produced because somebody wants it – not because a warehouse needs filling.
That's why we've deliberately chosen an on-demand approach to our merchandise.
You order it. We make it.
Rather than producing large quantities of products in advance and trying to predict which items, colours, designs or sizes people might want, our merchandise is produced specifically in response to an order.
Better thinking for people and planet
Every product we manufacture uses resources – materials, energy, printing, packaging and transport. Producing merchandise on demand helps us make more considered use of those resources.
It means we don't need to manufacture hundreds of products in advance, hold large quantities of stock or risk unwanted merchandise eventually becoming unnecessary waste.
It also means Down's Syndrome Manchester doesn't need to commit charitable funds to buying and storing stock before a single item has been ordered. Instead, we can offer our community a varied and evolving collection, producing what's wanted, when it's wanted.
Made for you
On-demand production is very different from traditional mass production.
Instead of manufacturing hundreds or thousands of identical items in one production run, orders can be individually produced, decorated and, where available, personalised for the person who has chosen them.
It gives us the flexibility to offer more choice, introduce new ideas and respond to what our community actually wants without first having to manufacture large quantities.
It may not be the conventional way to produce merchandise, but for us it makes sense.
Make what's wanted. Reduce what's wasted. Thrive with us.