A CRAFT shop in Holywell is spreading awareness of a condition that affects one in every thousand babies born in the UK.

Helen Ryles-Owen, the owner of Tower Crafts off Holywell’s High Street, has been busy encouraging people in the village to wear mismatched socks and clothing to help educate and raise awareness of those living with Down’s syndrome, a genetic condition also known as trisomy 21.

She said: “It is easy enough to participate, just stick your hand in your sock drawer and see what comes out. They can be bright and colourful, striped and spotted, long or short, so long as they are mismatched.

“I have been speaking with lots of the other local businesses on the High Street and getting our message out there. The day itself is all about raising the profile of the condition and making sure that people know how it is not a negative thing to be diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome and that our differences should be celebrated.

“Given the appropriate support and opportunities, each and every individual living with Down’s Syndrome can achieve their full potential and make their own important contribution to society.”

Helen’s 14-year-old daughter Ffion lives with the condition but leads a happy life like any other ‘typical sassy teenager’.

Helen added: “Ffion can be infuriating, frequently mischievous and has the extremely wicked sense of humour of a typical sassy teenager. Whilst on the other hand she is an amazing inspirational kind-hearted person that deserves the same respect as everybody else.

“Ffion’s condition has never put limits on her. My daughter is not ‘the kid with Down’s Syndrome’, she is a young person who just happens to have Down’s syndrome.”

Shops on Holywell’s High Street have also been showing their support for Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day, which has been marked on March 21 since 2012 to raise public awareness around living with the condition.

Ideal Lighting, Natural Elements, Danny’s Family Butchers, The Flower Bowl, Scott’s the Jewellers, Aurora Kitchens and Kassidy’s Tea Room have all pledged to support Helen by coming into work with mismatched socks.

Tower Crafts will also be raising funds for the Down’s Syndrome Association and Ysgol Maes Hyfryd, a specialist school co-located with Flint High School in Maes-Hyfryd, by selling items from their charity table.

Socks were chosen as the international symbol for World Down’s Syndrome Day because chromosomes share a similar shape and those with Down’s Syndrome have an extra 21st chromosome.

People have marked the occasion in previous years with a variety of activities including baking sock-shaped gingerbread biscuits or wearing mismatched socks.

One school in the village showing their support for Down’s Syndrome was where Helen’s daughter attended - St Winefride’s Catholic Primary School in Whitford Street – as teachers and pupils donned their mismatched socks.

Miss Sian Jones-Evans, the school’s head teacher and additional learning needs co-ordinator, said: “We have been doing the mismatched socks day now since 2015 when Helen got in touch with us during her daughter’s final year at the school in a bid to raise awareness of the condition.

“Some children will know Ffion from her time at the school and others will simply know of her through Helen’s continued involvement with the school. What is important is that all children will know about Down’s Syndrome and be able to understand exactly why they are coming to school in silly sock combinations.

“I think days like this are very important for us to mark because some children will have never seen a person with Down’s Syndrome and, as a school, it is important for us to teach children empathy and understand that people can be different and those differences are something to celebrate, not be mocked or ignored.

“If someone asked me why I am wearing one panda sock and one Christmas sock, I would proudly tell them that I am supporting the Down Syndrome Awareness Day.”

The theme of this year’s event is ‘leave no one behind,’ which aims to show the world that all people living with Down’s Syndrome should have equal opportunities to be able to lead fulfilling lives.

Has your school or workplace marked Down’s Syndrome Awareness Day? Let us know what you did or send your pictures and videos to news@leaderlive.co.uk. You can also send a message to our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.