Downright Special chosen as rradar charity partner for 2017/18.

We are pleased to announce that we have chosen Downright Special as our charity partner for 2017/18.

Colleagues from across the firm will be raising money over the next 12 months to help provide specialist support to children with Down Syndrome and their families in the Hull & East Yorkshire region.

rradar Chief Executive, Gary Gallen said: “I am delighted to launch this charity partnership between rradar and Downright Special. Downright Special provides incredible assistance to both children with Down Syndrome and to their families. We’ll be raising funds and providing support as a way of saying ‘thank you’ and ‘well done’ to the charity in this, their 10th year of activity.”

Run by a small team of professionally trained volunteers and staff, Downright Special costs around £80,000 per year to keep going.  Working alongside families, they deliver one to one and group support, providing expert guidance and practical solutions that promote a brighter future for children with the condition.

Gary continues: “Speaking as a parent of a child with Down Syndrome, life can take a dramatic turn when you’re faced with all the challenges that your child and family go through. It can become all-encompassing and completely absorbing, but you adapt and you realise that your child is just as amazing as any other, if not more so. You, your child and the rest of your family can still achieve many wonderful goals and milestones in life and you celebrate them all the more.

“I set rradar up to help other businesses achieve their ambitions too.  We believe in supporting businesses no matter what their size or situation; making the law easier for them to understand and use, levelling the playing field for a simplified access to the law and a fairer delivery of legal advice to clients.

“My personal circumstances have helped me to see that no matter what the challenges in life, with the right support and encouragement, you can achieve your goals. The team at rradar believes in this collaborative approach too. We want to help those parents who are in a similar situation, the ones who are dreaming of setting up their own business whilst balancing the needs of their child.

“So rradar will be offering more assistance to those who benefit from Downright Special than just the sum of our fundraising efforts, we will support the charity and the families affected in other ways too.”

Gillian Bowlas, Charity Manager and co-founder of Downright Special said: “teaming up with rradar and having such a supportive advocate in Gary, is a new avenue of support for us and for our parents who are running their own business.

“Gary understands first-hand the challenges they face and rradar’s fundraising commitment will contribute towards the money we need to meet the evolving needs of the families and our plans for growing the charity.”

To mark the launch of the new partnership, 11 members of the rradar team have committed to take part in Trekfest, the ultimate trekking charity challenge taking place in the Peak District, Derbyshire on Saturday 2nd September 2017 more information and to support the team donations can be made online at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/rradar.

Pictured L to R: Gillian Bowlas, Downright Special Charity Manager, Gary Gallen, Alan Hornby, rradar’s team captains for Trekfest with Claire Hill, rradar Marketing and Events Executive