The Arsenal Foundation has helped Step by Step Kids, a charity that provides activities for children with disabilities. One local mum tells us how the swimming sessions we funded have helped her daughter Shani in and out of the water. 

“I’m 37 years old and living in the London Borough of Hackney. As a busy mum of five wonderful children, most of my time revolves around caring for them. Our second child, eight-year-old Shani, has Down syndrome.

“Being a parent to a child with Down syndrome comes with its own set of challenges. Ensuring Shani gets the support she needs, especially in activities she loves, is like a really intense balancing act, given the needs of my other four children. Honestly, we often struggle to make ends meet – especially when it comes to supporting Shani with all the ‘extras’. 

“When I first learned about Step by Step Kids when Shani was just four years old. It was from a friend whose teenage daughter volunteered there, and I was particularly intrigued to discover that the sessions were either heavily subsidised or completely free. Shani joined their weekly Sunday Club and loved it. I was so happy that she...