THE mum of a student with Down's Syndrome is supporting a Northwich charity's aim for adults with the learning disability to receive funding for catch-up learning.

Cheshire Down’s Syndrome Support Group is urging the Government to fund catch-up learning for young adults with Down’s Syndrome, whose learning and life skills development have been critically impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The charity’s #lostinlockdown: Our Future Matters campaign calls for ministers to allocate a portion of the £300 million the Government has committed to help catch-up learning this year to be ringfenced for young people with Down’s Syndrome who were aged over 18 on November 5, 2020.

This date is when adults with the learning disability were put on the critically extremely vulnerable list and asked to take extra shielding measures - meaning they could not attend college or work experience.

The funding would enable them to repeat a year of college, or access other support such as a supported internship, as soon as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Joe Tranter, 20, attends Petty Pool College in Northwich.

His mum Sue said: "We believe the Government should fund the option of an additional year at college because Joe has missed so much of his crucial final year.

"Not only has he missed the academic aspect, but also the wider learning opportunities, work experience, travel training and social interaction.

"Joe wants to get a job, a flat and a girlfriend.

"We hope he will get a job when he finishes college and live independently from us and be happy."

Cheshire Down’s Syndrome Support Group CEO, Lawrence Caygill, added: "The pandemic has created an education crisis for all children and young people.

"This has been intensified for those with Down’s Syndrome, many of whom have not been able to attend college due to being on the critically extremely vulnerable list.

"They have not had the face-to-face interactions, repetition of real-life skills and opportunity for work experience needed to successfully transition into adulthood.

"This has resulted in extreme learning loss which, if not addressed, will result in a lost generation that have not had the opportunities to build the learning and life skills needed to engage fully in society."

Cheshire Down’s Syndrome Support Group has written to Cheshire MPs, urging them to raise the issue as well as launching a national petition.

Further information can be viewed at cheshiredownssyndrome.com.