Ian talks to us about having his voice heard, Zoom chats and Elvis!
Stay Up Late Ambassador Ian talks to us about having his voice heard, Zoom chats and Elvis!
We catch up with our Stay Up Late Ambassador, Ian Swannick, from Barry in South Wales, to talk about the things that are important to him.
“My name is Ian Swannick. I am a man with Down’s syndrome who has a learning disability. I love football, music, dancing, singing and musical theatre.”
Down’s Syndrome Awareness – Ian’s Message
On Down’s Syndrome Awareness, Ian has a special message for everyone:
“No-one should be stopped from doing the things they want to do. It is important we all have our voices heard.”
Becoming a Stay Up Late Ambassador
Ian became a Stay Up Late Ambassador because he wanted to support others with a learning disability. But being an Ambassador has also made him feel more confident about himself, too.
“Being a Stay Up Late Ambassador and talking to everyone on Zoom has made me more confident about myself. I love to help out other men and women with Down’s syndrome and learning disabilities. It’s good to meet your friends. I can keep busy and meet up with my friends on Zoom and WhatsApp which makes me more confident.”
Staying Active
Keeping active is very important to Ian:
“I am a Ffrindiau Gigiau / Gig Buddies member and I help out Kai Jones and Kylie Smith with the Gig Buddies project. I also have a new job with a charity shop in Barry town.”
Elvis
Elvis is also very important to Ian:
“I’ve been to his house. One of my favourite Elvis songs is Bridge Over Troubled Water. I did that song in the church for everyone.”
Thanks for talking to us today, Ian. We’ll leave you all with a bit of Elvis…
