An Evening with Up’s & Down’s at their
Annual Sporting Dinner
Special Guests, lots of fun and laughter and even more money raised!
After 2 cancelled charity dinners due to the pandemic, we were finally able to sponsor a wonderful local charity event based in Northamptonshire,
Celebrating, Educating, and supporting Down’s Syndrome In Northamptonshire, this incredible charity is helping children flourish and achieve their full potential in life.
On Friday 18th March Up’s and Down’s held their incredible annual sporting charity dinner which just so happened to be their 10th Year!
It was held at the beautiful Wicksteed Park Pavilion, the aim of this event was to raise funds to help the charity continue its valuable work in the community, and to the families, it helps on a daily basis. Not only was the venue filled with the very families it helps and supports, but there were a few very special guests in attendance too. Keep Reading for the special reveal!
We spoke with Karen Smith who is the secretary for the UpsnDowns charity to ask her some key points on why their job is so vital.
Who does your charity support?
UpsnDowns provides support and advice for children, adults, and families affected by Down’s syndrome in Northamptonshire. We work to increase awareness of Down’s syndrome and to promote positive attitudes and approaches within the local and wider community.
Why did you start this charity?
We formed the charity in 2006 as there was a real lack of support for pre and post-diagnosis of Down Syndrome locally. We wanted to ensure all prospective and new parents were well informed to make the right choices.
What kind of support do you provide?
Speech and Language Therapy, Sing and Sign, Swimming Lessons, Horse riding, acting, and dancing. In addition, we fund training for teachers and support staff in Northamptonshire to ensure schools are fully inclusive and the specific learning profiles of our children are fully understood. This enables both mainstream and special school staff to provide exactly the right environment to encourage development and maximize learning potential.
It is these experiences that have formed the basis of our organization where our children have flourished with consistent support, advice, and guidance. UpsnDowns is far more than a group just for our children; it is a network that provides support and friendship for mums, dads, brothers, sisters, and extended families.
What's one of your best experiences so far?
We are very proud that we are now supporting nearly 60 families in Northamptonshire. When covid hit we were able to obtain a grant to offer fruit and vegetable boxes to all of our families, many of whom were isolating and could not get supermarket slots readily for home delivery.
How can people get involved?
Any donations made, no matter how big or how small, will help UpsnDowns ensure that our children have every opportunity to reach their full potential throughout their lives.
Your generous donations help us continue to provide fantastic services to our member families. We have a just giving link on our website upsndowns. Please contact Karen Smith secretary@upsndowns.co.uk for further information or support.
How did you hear about KTV Venue Stylists?
This was a recommendation by one of our charity members.
Why did you go with a white, black, and orange theme for your event?
These are the charity logo colours and we always try to keep them within our theme.
How did you find the overall experience with the KTV Team?
It was exceptional throughout. The staff were helpful and very friendly. On the day of setting up, they were efficient and strived to ensure that we were happy with everything, they were doing along the way.
The KTV Team were truly honoured to be asked to be a part of this extremely worthwhile charity, we were tasked with incorporating the colours of their logo for their event, this included chair dressing and table styling. We provided a mix of orange, white and black chair covers, and silk sash bows and linen napkins.
With their chosen colour palette, we felt that our Signature Industrial Black Collection and our Gold Elegance Collection would be the perfect match. We also had beautiful fresh flower displays on each table, we had a gentle mix of vases and candles, and stunning gold footed bowls. The blend of black and gold worked perfectly with the colour scheme of the UpsnDowns charity.
Monika & Tammy were even luckier than the rest of the KTV team as they were able to attend the event, dressed to impress the girls were even more excited to be invited to the VIP Pre-Party drinks reception.
It was there they got to meet the very special guests that Up’snDown’s had invited, Newcastle United legend and match of the day’s Alan Shearer. Alan has been a supporter of this charity for over 10 years and was more than happy to attend after building up a friendship with charity secretary Karen, her husband Chris and their son Dylan, and all the other families they support. Not only was Alan in attendance, but professional snooker player Kyren Wilson was also a guest. A star-studded evening if we do say so ourselves!
The KTV team had a wonderful time being part of such a worthy cause, and along the way, we have made such wonderful friends and met some truly amazing people. The evening was full of fun, and laughter and a impressive £21000 was raised on the night! Huge congratulations to everyone involved in putting on such a fantastic night!
We are looking forward to being a part of future events organised by UpsnDown’s as this charity is close to all our hearts.
If you are planning an event and require styling, pop us a message or book an appointment at our design studio and showroom to see how we can help style your event.
Photography by KTV Venue Stylists/Big Bopper Entertainment
