“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”

— Nelson Henderson

 

We want to express our gratitude concerning two very special people, although they no longer have the chance to hear our thanks in person. We want to thank their families and loved ones, who know how much it matters, and to take this opportunity to honour their legacies.

 

You might be aware that we receive a significant amount of our funding from legacies left to us by people who make arrangements to remember us in their will. With the scarcity of available government funding for research into Down syndrome, these contributions are a lifeline that keeps our research going. It’s a highly personal and meaningful way of contributing to our work, and it makes a great difference to us.

 

Recently DSRF-UK received legacies very recently from two wonderful people. With permission from their families, we would like to share a little of their stories – to remember their lives, to reflect on their motivations, and to recognise the investment which they took care to make. Their gifts have sown seeds that will bear fruit for the future.

 

Bob

Dr Robert Lister, known to us as Bob, was one of our Trustees at the Down Syndrome Research Foundation UK. He served on the Board of Directors for 15 years, seeing first-hand the work we do, and the impact that it has. Research into Down syndrome was clearly an important cause to him, and we were greatly appreciative of his eminent achievements both as an academic and researcher, and valued his input and insight as a trustee.

After he passed away, we were very touched to discover that he had also remembered DSRF-UK in his will. We are moved by his gesture of continued confidence in our work, and we know he realised full well how much it would matter to us.

 

 

 

 

 

Katherine Aucott was mother to Rebecca, and grandmother to Bethany Asher, a young woman who has become well known in her burgeoning career as an actress in the UK. You may have seen her acting in the award winning short ‘Innocence’, as well as recently in BBC One’s ‘Sherwood’ series. Bethany also happens to have Down syndrome.

Katherine was acutely aware and proud of the talents and contributions to the world that her grandchild Bethany will make in her lifetime, and also realistically aware that improvements need to be proactively made in many of the areas that affect the future health, happiness and wellbeing of people with Trisomy 21. Her gift to us is a gesture of love and hope that we will carefully steward.

 

 

We are profoundly grateful for these contributions. We are always stronger together, and with adequate financial backing, we can continue to offer our expertise in carrying out research that will benefit this generation and future generations of people with Trisomy 21.

 

If you know anyone who is starting to think about making a will and wants to provide a legacy to positively impact the next generation, and who may be interested in our work, please don’t hesitate to put them in contact with us.

 

You can find out more about good steps to take when considering leaving a legacy to charity at this link.