A Cardiff mother and daughter fundraising duo have raised over £2,031 throughout the years and £460 so far this year for learning disability charity, Follow Your Dreams, who support children and young people with learning disabilities across Wales & England.
Over the past 5 years the family have been involved in multiple fundraising efforts with mum Lauren planning her third Skydive following a previous two sponsored leaps.
In their latest efforts, Chloe 13, and her mum Lauren are raising funds by selling handmade knitted socks in mis-matched pairs, available to visitors at NatWest’s Canton branch.
The mother and daughter duo are mirroring the tradition of wearing odd socks on World Down Syndrome Day in recognition of the extra chromosome that people with Down Syndrome are born with.
Chloe, who has Down Syndrome, and her mum Lauren were inspired to fundraise for Follow Your Dreams to give other children the opportunities Chloe has experienced through the charity. The family have been involved with the charity since Chloe’s birth and started fundraising when Chloe turned 10.
The socks have proven to be very popular among NatWest branch customers, with Chloe and Lauren having knitted over 100 pairs of socks to date and will continue their efforts until they reach their funding goal.
The charity aims to inspire children to see beyond immediate challenges, encouraging them to follow their dreams and develop talents and skills to achieve endless possibilities. As part of its work, the charity offers entertainment to those with learning disabilities, including arts & crafts, sensory storytelling and DJ and disco Zoom sessions, as well as running a dance group and get togethers for over 18’s with learning disabilities to help them develop new skills and instil self-confidence.
Lauren Oliver said: “We started this recent fundraising effort to raise money ahead of World Down Syndrome Day as it’s a cause very close to our family.
“Chloe and I have been supported by Follow Your Dreams since she was 8-years-old, so they have been a big part of our life over the last few years. Chloe has really benefitted from their services, and we are keen to give back so more children like Chloe can experience what she’s had the opportunity to do.
“The support from NatWest has been great. Selling the socks in branch has proven to be very positive and we hear such kind feedback from customers that love the socks. We’re almost at our target and once we’ve smashed this will be looking out for the next opportunity to raise money for such a great charity.”
Commenting on their fundraising efforts, Nathan Martin, Regional Board Engagement Manager, said: “It’s great to see awareness and funds being raised for a charity like Follow Your Dreams which does such important work within the learning disability community.
“Our branch colleagues are always eager to get behind initiatives like this and have been enjoying seeing customers browse through the socks and choose their perfect pair. We wish Chloe and Lauren the best of luck with their fundraising efforts and look forward to seeing what they do next.”
