The Art of the Possible book cover by Sue Blackwell

What's normal?

When faced with a curved ball after a textbook first pregnancy, Sue and Malcolm Blackwell found their own way through the confusing path of supporting their children to follow their dreams encouraging them to fulfil their unique potential.

Their daughter Jen has Down’s syndrome.

Choosing not to “put her in a home and forget about her”, as one health professional advised a few weeks after Jen’s birth, they’ve discovered it’s possible for each member of the family to live extraordinary lives, achieving things they never thought were possible by taking one step at a time.

Naturally shy and reclusive Sue, with Malcolm working away from home, found strength and resourcefulness to challenge what didn’t feel right for them. In a world of systems and checklists that doesn’t see people as unique individuals with talents and dreams, excited to fulfil their purpose in life, Sue and Malcolm show how thinking differently can turn things upside down and unlock doors that were previously hidden from view.

Jen

'Dream, Believe, Achieve'

Let's talk learning disability

Jen

'Dream, Believe, Achieve'


The Art of the Possible book shares that with love at the foundation of all we do, we can embrace every person so they know they matter in our family, our community and our world.

Dreams really do come true.

With the right support to tap into our unique potential everyone can contribute.

We're all in this together

We all know the phrase, thought to be an African proverb, “it takes a
village to raise a child”. We’re all invited to be part of the village, a
compassionate community of people supporting each other to grow and
develop; to be loved and to love; to watch on with pride and delight as we
see each person rise to their full potential.

We also know that not everyone feels supported by the village. Many feel
like an outsider, some from a very early age in their life; some feel
pushed out as they grow up. Some of us feel like we’ve never fitted in
and never will.

My village is your village. What we do matters. We’re all in this together
and we can change things for the better for everyone.

Jen Blackwell holding up trophy with Mum Sue clappingGroup of dancers from DanceSyndrome celebrating with arms in the air

Thoughts, articles and conversations:

Atlantic Odyssey day 27-29

Tracking a yacht crossing the Atlantic from Caribbean to Canaries
Day 27 10pm. Another day in paradise draws to a close. The clock is ticking as we now have only 159 miles to run to Tazacorte – that’s a little over 24 hours which is slightly problematic as I refuse to go within 10 miles of the coast in the dark, and actually would prefer to be 30 miles off.
29th May 2026
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Atlantic Crossing
Life on Sukama

Atlantic Odyssey day 26

Dark sky over sea with moon lighting tops of waves
Day 26 And more tales from the night watch! What a glorious day, even though we motored all day long. Blue sky, warm sunshine, not wearing thermals! We must be heading south. The engine purred at 1600 revs and even ran a little cooler over time pushing us forward over a flat calm sea at 6 knots without a murmur.
27th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey day 23 – 25

Lady with fair hair and sunglasses at back of boat with a wave high behind her
Day 23 After a night on the tiles, much pummelling and cajoling of possessions into their respective holdalls, the bleary eyed Crew have left for the airport. They leave a real hole having been such good company; good for each other and good for us, able and willing to jump to whatever the ask or the need. Still a few
26th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 – Crew signing out

Looking to setting sun from back of yacht with waves rolling towards boat
Day 22 – The Crew – Part 5 – Signing off! Avast me hearties! Here we are, another 4 days on. Docked in the Azores and time for the ships company to disband as we The Crew hop off leaving Sukama with Malcolm and Sue to continue her quest South! While honoured to be labelled as the A-team when it
26th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 20

Two people smiling in cockpit of yacht with setting sun falling into the open ocean to the left of them
Day 20 Difficult to believe, we’ll have been at sea for three weeks by the time we make landfall in the Azores tomorrow (Thursday). Even more strange given that we were heading to the Canaries, but weather said no. Our whole lives have been controlled by the ocean and the sea state, the currents, the wind and weather systems, the
21st May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 19

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Day 19 It’s 5.10pm and 3 out of 4 of us are horizontal! It’s been one of those days! Winds up, swell is causing 3-4 metre seas coming from various points behind the beam, so confused seas and the occasional pasting on the hull cresting the coach roof and making us quietly smile in a deja vue sort of way!
21st May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 18

Looking towards the back of a yacht at the rolling waves
Day 18  We’re back! The fourth Crew edition of our swashbuckling adventure across the pond. So what’s been happening! Well, it seems we managed to extract an entry out of Malcolm! Maybe this Crew intervention thing is catching! It at least appears to have made a positive impact aboard! The more observant among you however, will have realised, it is
19th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 17

Dolphins playing in front of the bow of the boat
18 May 2026 at 10:12:52 BST Day 17 It’s been an awesome day by any standards. We’re rolling down the trades with much rolling side to side still with minimal winds demanding careful movement around Sukama whilst engaged in frenetic activity whether interrogating the photos of the day, working on a laptop, playing suduko or enjoying a convivial beer at
18th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 15 – 16

Man with cap sitting in dark with a light on with sailing charts on the chart table in front of him
16 May 2026 at 12:56:52 BST Day 15 8pm Sukama time – GMT -4 having marked another Friday in the traditional Blackwell manner with the close harmonies, floating trebles and reverberating bass notes of Lucid enhanced by the saloon speakers. Cheers all! Trust you enjoyed the trusty crew’s blog. They’re having a blast creating it, and are careful to never
18th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 14

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Day 14 – The Crew – Part 3 – The Takeover. Welcome all landlubbers to another interruption in your normal Sukama broadcast, brought to you by, The Crew! In today’s edition we have changing plans and The Crew takeover. For those readings Sue’s normal reports some of this you will already know but maybe with a different perspective! We have
16th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 days 11 – 13

Track of yacht travelling across Atlantic Ocean west to east. Text marks 14 May 0600 UTC Course 50 degrees @ 7.0 knots
12 May 2026 at 10:59:58 BST Day 11 The good ship Sukama sallies ever eastwards into the gloom at the end of the day in spite of the bedraggled scallywags who came along for the ride. Mostly they are controllable but once in a while they break out of their box and get up to mischief. I accept that we
14th May 2026
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Why inclusion matters to parents of children with learning disabilities

Young Jen Blackwell dancing
Parents of children with learning disabilities experience many closed doors when searching for activities to support their child’s development. Welcoming open doors, people who care and listen to the individual and family needs are the foundation for inclusive activity providers. As a family with one member having a learning disability we are well aware of the importance of different activities
12th May 2026
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Art of the Possible
Inclusion
Learning Disability
Thinking Differently

Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 10

Young man with dark short hair wearing life jacket sitting on back of yacht with feet in water on calm sea
11 May 2026 at 11:16:14 BST Day 10 – The Crew. Part 2 Ahoy ye! Another 4 days on and high time for another takeover by the wee scallywags… The Crew. I’m sure you are all curious to hear what tales of the high seas have filled the last few days…. The odd insight to sailing and amusement that may
11th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 7-9

Yacht with sails down motoring on a flat calm sea. Man in cockpit taking shelter from the sun
8 May 2026 16:50 GMT Day 7 Trust you enjoyed the interlude from the subversive imposters otherwise known as the The Crew. They do most certainly earn their keep in many and varied ways keeping us on our toes, asking questions such as ‘which line’ when asked to tension the kicker with nothing by that name – ‘so that’ll be
11th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 day 6

Yacht sailing in open sea towards sunset with sails both sides held out by a pole
7 May 2026 at 09:57:35 BST Day 6 – brought to you by… the crew It’s Sue’s day off so thought it would be fitting for today’s episode to be brought to you by the rest of us great unwashed, the rabble that lies beneath yes, that is us… The Crew…. For those used to Sue’s writing tones this might
8th May 2026
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Atlantic Odyssey 2 days 4 – 5

Man wearing life jacket kneeling over a storage locker at the back of a yacht
5 May 2026 at 14:38:44 BST Day 4 It’s a slow day at the office where I find myself musing on food……… I’d never really given it the time of day before, but onboard in calm conditions it’s brought home to me that there are so many steps between procuring the food to eating the food. We stocked up to
6th May 2026
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Thinking Differently

Atlantic Odyssey 2 – we’ve made a start

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May 1st. Day 1 again! Today is May 1st 2026.  This is a portentous day in my calendar as it marks the 2nd anniversary of my mum’s passing when all 4 of her children were gathered around her bed to say goodbye.  It was a moment of total solidarity as we jointly comforted each other sorry to see her go,
5th May 2026
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Is this the single largest inexcusable travesty of the 21st Century?

Lady speaking into microphone with 2 ladies and 1 man behind her on stage
Dear Jo Public Is this the single largest inexcusable travesty of the 21st Century? What do you know, or choose to know?  Do you care? I live in a world where injustices are metered out as commonplace where inequalities are the accepted norm, where people like my daughter Jen are unknown and unseen, invisible in full sight.   In my world
23rd April 2026
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Sue
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Inclusion
Learning Disability
Thinking Differently

Connecting through dance

Donna with sunglasses on and Jen with glasses on drinking through straws from coconuts in the back of a car
It’s been a busy few months with my family and my dancing family. I am very proud of all we’ve done so far this year. It’s been very exciting. After my Mum and Dad sailed across the Atlantic on their yacht Sukama in January, my lead support and Fire Sister Donna and I flew to meet them in Tampa Bay,
16th April 2026
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Art of the Possible
in her words
Jen
Learning Disability
Living life

Championing social change

Selnet Enterprise in Society Awards 2026 Finalist
I’m honoured to be recognised as a finalist for “20 years a Social Enterprise Champion” in Selnet Ltd awards, and to have been nominated for the SMK Lifetime Achievement award. I have always championed social change, challenging assumptions and adding my voice and support wherever I can – as a naturally shy introvert that’s been quite something! I believe when
8th April 2026
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Art of the Possible
Awards
Inclusion
Thinking Differently

The joy of life on Sukama

Malcolm at helm of yacht steering us to anchorage off island of Guadeloupe
After our whirlwind week in the UK visiting Malcolm’s Mum Jean and finding her in remarkably fine spirits, a couple of powerful DanceSyndrome sessions connecting with each other in person and other organisations in our dance world including our partners from Japan, and playing catch up on various fronts, we were happy to be heading back to Sukama.  UK, Antigua,
1st April 2026
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Life on Sukama
Living life
Opportunity

Together against loneliness

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With an important caveat.  All views are personal and formed over 70 years of living, 44 with Jen, who today presents as her most fulfilled self ever. Let’s consider the work/life balance for all of us. What works best – for you, for people you know, for your family members, your loved ones, for people with learning disabilities?  And how
21st March 2026
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Sue
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Art of the Possible
Jen
Learning Disability
Opportunity
Thinking Differently

Humanity rising – the power of love

Donna Jen Sue and guide on gorge swim
These past couple of weeks have been amazing, a microcosm of our world in theory and in practice.  We have embraced risk and opportunity, we have committed to each other and travelled the miles, inspired and impacted unsuspecting others, and opened doors to the future for DanceSyndrome with Jen seen, heard, valued and respected communicating through her language of dance.
7th March 2026
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Sue
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Art of the Possible
Inclusion
Learning Disability
Living life
Opportunity
Thinking Differently

The vibrancy of life being lived

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The stifling heat in Antigua greeted my sister (Paul’s Mum), Merie two weeks ago. It has been pure joy to hear her excitement as she witnesses the next unexpected and revels in the numerous offbeat opportunities presenting. I am thrilled that we are able to make new memories with someone so dear to me, someone who I only came to know
20th February 2026
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Life on Sukama
Living life
Opportunity
Thinking Differently

DanceSyndrome 17 years on

Donna Jen and Lucy pointing to you in front of ClubHubUK banner
Thank you for noticing and for your congratulations!  Can it really be 17 years since we took those first faltering steps towards the birth of DanceSyndrome? Like so many decisions it was driven by necessity.  Jen’s world was crumbling around her and the frustration of her aspirations not being recognized just because she has a learning disability was too much
12th February 2026
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Art of the Possible
Inclusion
Jen
Learning Disability
Living life
Thinking Differently

Choosing your path

Baby kicking legs and pushing up on arms on mat on the floor smiling at camera
I shall always remember the very first time we visited and fell in love with Guernsey.  Aft clambering over rocks we were resting and admiring the view from the alluring coast path, Jen gurgling happily in a kangaroo carrier as Malcolm and I chatted quietly smitten by the beauty of our surroundings and the profundity of the moment as we
11th February 2026
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Sue
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Art of the Possible
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Living life
Thinking Differently

Atlantic crossing – reflections from the journey

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Thank you to every person who has journeyed with us and alongside us.  We’ve really appreciated feeling the fellowship of all who have joined us these past few weeks.  But how to do justice to this experience of a lifetime? Superlatives hardly cut it – incredible, unbelievable, stupendous, bigger, biggest ever seen, awesome, whilst in and amongst we experience bikini
2nd February 2026
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Sue
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Art of the Possible
Atlantic Crossing
Life on Sukama

Atlantic crossing complete

Sailing tracker across atlantic ocean of Yacht Sukama 18 day journey January 2026
27 January 2026 at 14:42:06 GMT Day 18 cont…………… Minimal winds through the day of around 21 knots. Wall to wall sunshine causing us to hide whenever possible. 1600 ‘Let’s get the bimini up. That should be quick and easy’ Tried but abandoned. Sadly we have no photos but would have been good with me lying prone across the cockpit
28th January 2026
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Sue
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Atlantic Crossing
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Thinking Differently

Atlantic crossing days 16-18

yacht on ocean with white sails up sailing on open sea towards sun that is setting
25 January 2026 at 18:56:20 GMT Day 16  There seemed to be no reason on a mostly clear night, but strangely Orion lost his head and shoulders! 3.30am and 32 knots was the point where I was definitely uncomfortable with our sail set.  I unintentionally managed to awake the whole ships company but happily having watched the instruments for a while it
27th January 2026
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Sue
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Atlantic Crossing
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Atlantic crossing days 13-15

3 people on a yacht leaving La Palma to cross the atlantic ocean
Team photo: Sue, Malcolm and Paul, as we set off from Tazacorte, La Palma 9th January 2026 23 January 2026 at 11:41:13 GMT Day 13 Consistent strong winds continued throughout the day. Bumpy seas forced us to carefully hold on down below and on deck to avoid being tossed about by the waves. Paul got properly wet on his morning
24th January 2026
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Sue
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Atlantic Crossing
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Thinking Differently

Atlantic crossing days 11-12

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Day 11 I relieved Paul at 4am who reported starlit skies, still no moon (?), wind gusting 19 – 27 knots, and lots of shooting stars. My watch came with plentiful wind, even bigger seas, and a yacht which didn’t show up on the radar at all passing 0.7miles ahead of us. I’m thankful for alarms on the electronics! All
21st January 2026
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Sue
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Atlantic Crossing
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Thinking Differently

Atlantic crossing days 7-10

tracking sailing passage of yacht sukama across the Atlantic
16 January 2026 at 10:15:19 GMT Day 7 continued The beautiful sunrise hailed a mixed bag of a day where cloud cover and strong winds prevailed. Lots of fun! I need to catch up on some shut eye, but for now, here’s a log entry to make you smile. Paul is obviously the master of the understatement. And really good
19th January 2026
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Sue
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Atlantic Crossing
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Atlantic crossing Days 5-6

Man with dark hair wearing dark t-shirt pouring tea from a teapot with knitted tea cosy into 2 mugs inside a yacht
14 January 2026 at 06:36:53 GMT Day 5 We were all wrapped up against the chilly night air last night but it was delightfully quiet in spite of a bobbly sea. Paul stood a good 1 hour watch on deck alone making adjustments to George when necessary. The generator purred into action at 0630 followed by the most delicious breakfast
15th January 2026
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Sue
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Atlantic Crossing
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