Our Board is a mixture of long-serving and newer trustees, giving us a dynamic mix of opinions. The members of our Board of Trustees possess extensive research, education, management, accounting and marketing expertise and experience. Many are also close relatives of young people with Down’s syndrome.
Dr Elizabeth Corcoran MB BS BSc MRCPsych
Dr Elizabeth Corcoran has headed our team of trustees for over ten years. Dr Corcoran is a psychiatrist with clinical experience in learning disabilities but more importantly is sister to David, who has Down’s syndrome. She has come to firmly believe that the true potential of people with DS has not yet been fully understood.
For Dr Corcoran, piecemeal interventions or ‘band-aid approaches’ aren’t enough for those with DS. Members of this community deserve integrated interventions and a culture of collaboration that will enrich their lives. There is no ‘silver bullet’ that will help all individuals with DS around the world, individuals deserve an individualised approach.
Dr Corcoran has also published a book “Can I tell you about Down’s Syndrome?” which was well received by families and teachers alike.
She has represented the Foundation at many ethical and health service initiatives (read more in on Advocacy) and spoke and presented at the World Down’s Syndrome Congress in Glasgow July 2018.
Our Board is a mixture of long-serving and newer trustees, giving us a dynamic mix of opinions. The members of our Board of Trustees possess extensive research, education, management, accounting and marketing expertise and experience. Many are also close relatives of young people with Down’s syndrome.
Marie Kato-Kmiec, Strategic communications consultant
Marie is a bilingual (English and Polish) communications professional with several years’ experience gained in an international environment with in-depth knowledge of both the public and private sectors. Her professional background includes media relations, public relations, public and international diplomacy, communications strategy and reputation and crisis management. Marie is married and has three children and has a passion for defending the human rights of people with DS.
Dr Pete Elliott
Dr Peter C Elliott is an Emergency Medicine Specialist in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He graduated with honors from University Of Texas Medical School At Houston in 1990. Having more than 28 years of diverse experiences, Dr Pete brings a unique perspective to our board. He is a sibling to an adult with DS.
Lynn Murray
Lynn began her career with RBS, having studied Banking at Glasgow Caledonian University. After a few years, she joined the Systems Development Dept and became an IT programmer/analyst. Lynn’s fourth child, who has Down’s syndrome, was born in 2000, which led her to become interested in issues around Down’s syndrome and I was inspired by the work of Peter Elliott and DSRF. She has supported the charity for over 10 years, in a voluntary capacity and joining as a trustee recently.
She joined the international Down’s syndrome advocacy group, Saving Down syndrome, in 2013. She has been a member of the standing committee for the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics (SCHB) since late 2015. She is also the head and UK spokesperson for the Down’s syndrome advocacy group, Don’t Screen Us Out, seeking a true inclusive ethical dialogue on screening. Having formed in Jan 2016 it has amassed a following of over 12,000 and has held two successful Parliament events.
Sylvia Elliott
Having been involved with the Foundation from its inception, Sylvia Elliott has amassed a great deal of wisdom and care for not only her son David but the whole DS community. Having a passion for volunteering, Sylvia has a breadth of experience with those with intellectual disabilities. She brings down-to-earth and practical feedback to board on all our plans and their possible impact on the community.
Sarah Costerton BA (Hons) BSc (Hons)
Sarah worked in a number of areas including school based youth work, overseas development in Kenya and Bolivia before studying for a degree in African and Asian Development and Politics at SOAS. It became clear that her passion lay in working face-to-face with people and so she began her nursing degree at Kingston University. She spent a number of years working as a Palliative Care Nurse Specialist at a local hospice which was both rewarding and challenging.
She has 3 daughters and her middle child Beth, born in 2013 has Down Syndrome. Sarah was shocked at the lack of care and support provided when a baby has a high chance of being born with Down Syndrome and has since backed a number of campaigns to improve the journey of expectant and new parents. A supporter of Don’t Screen Us Out and Positive About Down Syndrome, Sarah has also given lectures about delivering different or unexpected news to midwives as part of their ongoing professional development. She is passionate about properly supporting expectant parents with easily accessible, high quality and contemporary information about living with Down Syndrome today.
Alison Morley
Alison has previously worked for many years in education, supporting the teaching and learning of children and young people with additional needs. She also volunteered in the charity sector for a number of years, both as a youth worker and then as a trustee for a faith-based Women’s organisation. Her roles included helping to plan and organise conferences as well as taking on speaking engagements at a number of events.
In 2011 her youngest daughter was born with Down’s syndrome as well as other complex medical needs. At the age of 7 she was also diagnosed with Autism. Alison’s eldest child is also neurodiverse and has Dyspraxia and Autism. Alison writes about her experiences and observations via her blog Downright Joy. Through her writing, she is passionate about honouring the lives of people with Down’s syndrome and other learning disabilities as well as those who care for them.
Alison’s experiences of, often frustrating, medical appointments where a ‘one size fits all approach’ did not seem to help improve things for her daughter all that much, led her to seek out help via the DSRF. Her daughter has since benefitted from their expertise and research in a number of ways. Alison is keen to see this kind of research widened and its benefits felt and understood by people with Down’s syndrome, their health professionals and those who have a caring/supporting role in their lives. Her involvement as a Trustee for the DSRF reflects this desire. Alison has welcomed the opportunities it has already brought her to play a small role with the DSRF’s wider collaboration with other organisations, such as the Embracing Complexity Special Interest Research Group, researching neurodiverse conditions and how the benefits can be reaped by many, not just those with Down’s syndrome.
Funding
We receive no Government funding and rely totally on voluntary donations from individuals, companies, community groups and grant-making trusts. Our need to fundraise and generate income is constant and we appeal to you to support us if you possibly can.
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