Vogue's first ever Down Syndrome model becomes face of huge UK charity campaign
Ellie Goldstein made history as the first person with Down Syndrome to grace the cover of Vogue, and now she's taking her modelling career to a whole new place in aid of Learning Disability Week
Ellie Goldstein is busting myths and helping to represent a community of disabled people as she kicks down yet another door, modelling for this charity shop's latest campaign. Mencap has made the 23-year-old the latest face of their campaign for Learning Disability Week, which will showcase her face in retail stores across England.
Her career in fashion was firmly established when she became the first ever person with Down Syndrome to appear on the cover of Vogue but is swapping out the luxury life for a more sustainable fashion approach. Having previously modelled for the likes of Nike and Gucci, she will now help to promote second-hand style with her face popping up in around 32 retail stores this week onwards.
Ellie shared: 'I love how the photos have turned out; I look so cool in all the lovely outfits! It's really exciting to see myself in the shop windows. It means a lot to me to be part of Learning Disability Week and to show what people with learning disabilities can achieve – follow your dreams!'
A series of fashion-forward photos will be up in high street Mencap stores, showcasing Ellie as she models a selection of colourful fits found in the charity shop. Through this photoshoot, they hope to encourage shoppers to delve into their pre-loved clothes, at bargain prices, and help to donate money to a good cause.
The cause, in this case, is not only helping those who benefit from the charity's incredible work but also promoting Learning Disability Week – an annual celebration of people with a learning disability, as well as their families and carers. Across the UK, there are around 1.5 million people living with a learning disability, and Ellie is just one of them hoping to bust some myths.
Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Mencap exists to help make the UK the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. They do this by supporting those with disabilities, along with their families and carers, while working to change laws, increase representation, and help to create employment opportunities that may not already exist for people with disabilities.
Chief executive of Mencap, Jon Sparkes, says: 'Learning Disability Week is an opportunity for us all to celebrate the 1.5 million people across the UK with a learning disability and what they bring to our communities and society.
"This Learning Disability Week we're thrilled to launch our Myth Buster Ellie as the face of our Mencap shops. Representation matters – and these pictures go to the heart of the work we do at Mencap every day to ensure people with a learning disability are seen for who they are, not for their disability."
Aside from the campaign, there are ways that you yourself can get stuck into helping raise awareness this Learning Disability Week. This includes volunteering at Mencap, donating to charities and campaigning to make a stand.
There is still so much stigma and discrimination that those with learning disabilities face every day, and educating yourself or campaigning for those that need it could make all the difference. To learn more, you can visit mencap.org.uk.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
From nude snaps, toyboy lovers & launching sexy products – how 50-plus stars like Hurley and Holden get spicier with age
Find out what Amanda Holden keeps in her saucy bedroom box GENERATION X-RATED From nude snaps, toyboy lovers & launching sexy products – how 50-plus stars like Hurley and Holden get spicier with age GONE are the days when midlife meant slowing down in the bedroom department — if this lot are anything to go by then this is the era when things ramp up. From Liz Hurley in her 'birthday suit' for her 60th, to Amanda Holden, 54, gardening 'naked', 52-year-old Sofia Vergara sunbathing topless and Halle Berry launching her own range of sex products, these women refuse to let age diminish their sensuality. Advertisement 6 Amanda Holden, 54, 'I would encourage anyone at home to strip off and have a cheeky bounce on the trampoline' Credit: Christian Vermaak 6 Halle Berry, 58, 'The most important thing about owning your sexuality is accepting the station you're at and embracing it' Credit: Instagram 6 Liz Hurley, 60, 'Powerful folk can be sexy. I adore Clinton... you know, naughty but nice with a very sexy voice' Credit: Instagram Dubbed Generation X-Rated, along with their nude snaps, they are sharing saucy sex confessions, dating toyboys and having the steamiest sex of their lives. Even at 67 Sharon Stone — technically a boomer — has set pulses racing with her latest magazine cover for Vogue. Proudly revealing her breasts in a sheer dress, it's her raunchiest shoot to date. While many may judge them for not 'acting their age', I'm sure millennials knee deep in nappies and Peppa Pig — in the so-called arid years — will be looking on with a hint of the green-eyed monster, and hoping that they too will revive their mojo in mid-life. Sharon Stone says she is 'hotter now than I have ever been' and that just as many people want to sleep with her as in her younger years. Meanwhile Liz Hurley is 'in love' with her new beau Billy Ray Cyrus, 63. Advertisement And kudos to Amanda Holden, who is happily 'swinging from the chandeliers' with husband Chris Hughes, 51. She says he can't keep his hands off her, adding: 'I actually tell him off because I say, 'I don't want to have a kiss and a grope while I'm trying to load the dishwasher.' One secret to their saucy sex life is that Amanda likes to walk around the home completely naked — whether serving Sunday lunch or bouncing on the trampoline in the garden. She also says she has a 'magic box' of sex toys. Advertisement Heidi Klum is another Gen-X-er who is more than satisfied. Married to Tom Kaulitz, who is 16 years her junior, she has spoken about how she has found her match. Amanda Holden appears NAKED on radio just days after Ofcom complaints over BGT dress Describing her sex life as 'endless, hot and wild', she says she likes to have sex for hours. Heidi once said: 'If you are wild and crazy, bring it on so the other person is well aware that you have little devil horns that come out every once in a while.' Advertisement The German model's daughter Leni, 20, also revealed on a podcast that she and her friends found her mum's sex closet — where she keeps her sex toys and dressing-up clothes. While most teens would be mortified, Leni described the secret stash as 'cool'. Sexual prime According to research, it's not just celebrities or fictional characters such as the Sex And The City girls or Bridget Jones who are experiencing a sexual reawakening in their 50s and beyond. Women over 50 — perhaps surprisingly — have more body confidence than younger women. Kate Taylor, Sex and relationship expert While millennials and Gen Z are in a sexual recession — having less sex than their parents — many women of Generation X or even boomers like Sharon Stone are in their sexual prime. Advertisement Sex and relationship expert Kate Taylor said: 'Women over 50 — perhaps surprisingly — have more body confidence than younger women. 'A survey by dating site Ourtime found that senior daters are more likely to leave the lights on in bed, and have sex sooner than daters aged 20 to 30.' She also said women have more access than previous generations to HRT to increase natural libido, and beauty treatments to boost confidence. Halle Berry is one Hollywood A-lister who has talked freely about post-menopause sex. Advertisement Last month she shared a video lying naked in bed with her boyfriend, 55-year-old musician Van Hunt, and held up a bottle of personal lubricant, laughing to the camera — hinting that they were about to get frisky. She has previously revealed that she has had red-light therapy down below and uses lubricating skincare products, declaring that she is now 'juicy like a peach'. Halle, 58, who has her own range of intimate wellness products, is as stunning as ever and her confidence is through the roof — at this year's Met Gala she appeared to go commando and left little to the imagination in a sheer dress. She insists 'Age is just a number they stick on us at birth' and looking at these sexy stars, you might say that it's almost possible to freeze time — if you have the means to do so. Advertisement Single Jennifer Lopez, 55, is a prime example. She showcased her ageless figure when performing at the American Music Awards last month, and in a bold move to prove she is far from past it, she locked lips with both her male and female dancers, making global headlines. In a similar move, Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara recently posted a holiday pic topless in just a thong bikini, and fans were amazed by how fabulous she looked. 6 Sofia Vergara, 52, 'I feel very sexy right when I wake up. But I feel even more after I shower, brush my hair and put on make-up' Credit: Instagram/sofiavergara 6 Heidi Klum, 52, 'If you are wild and crazy, bring it on so the other person is well aware that you have little devil horns that come out every once in a while' Credit: Calzedonia Advertisement One posted: 'How the f*** are you 52?' while another speculated that she had airbrushed her bottom to make it appear bigger. Others left a trail of flame emojis and marriage proposals. Twice-married Sofia recently declared that she is looking for 'a lover' after her divorce from actor Joe Manganiello was finalised last year. After that thirst trap of a snap, there will be plenty of volunteers. As our hormone levels change, declining oestrogen can rev up the impact of our body's natural testosterone, making us feel lustier and more energetic. Kate Taylor, Sex and relationship expert Kate Taylor says: 'Women over 50 get a boost of va-va-voom, especially if they're single.' Advertisement And contrary to the trope that all menopausal women lose interest in sex, she adds: 'As our hormone levels change, declining oestrogen can rev up the impact of our body's natural testosterone, making us feel lustier and more energetic.' Youth, they say, is wasted on the young. And numerous studies have shown that Gen Z is too busy scrolling TikTok and taking selfies to have much real-life sex. Meanwhile those in their 50s and older have reported improvements to their sex lives, with more than a third having the best sex of their lives, according to Swedish sex toy firm Lelo. Maybe youth isn't wasted on the young then — it's just the warm-up act for a spicier mid-life. Advertisement 6 Sharon Stone, 66, 'I have just as many people who want to sleep with me now as I ever did... you're much more discerning as you get older' Credit: Branislav Šimončík For Vogue Adria Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Dua Lipa's mega renovations will cost nearly as much she paid for entire house
EXCLUSIVE: Dua Lipa will be on stage this weekend in London, performing at Wembley Stadium to thousands of fans, but she has a long way to go to finish her home in the capital Dua Lipa tonight kicks off her Wembley Stadium shows, and it appears like she could do the gig standing on her head, which she probably could. In the hours leading up to her first of two shows at the London venue, the hugely successful singer posted photos showing her on stage preparing for the giant gigs and also a video of herself doing yoga posing upside down showing off her core strength. Speaking earlier this month to Vogue, she said how much she loves performing live: 'Adrenaline is an incredible drug,' she explained 'I can hear people screaming before I'm even on. That's when my heart starts racing. Moments before, I'm like: 'Oh, my God, we're doing this.' And I'm ready to go.' On playing Wembley, Dua also admitted: 'That's definitely been a massive dream, and it's going to be quite surreal. You know, stadiums: that seems pretty scary.' Her overall aim is always to turn big spaces into little nightclubs, and her biggest fear is: 'as the rooms get bigger, how do you make them feel just as intimate?' Retaining that connection with an audience at Wembley, she admits, will be 'no easy task'. But it was something she achieved at Glastonbury last year when she headlined the Pyramid stage and held a brightly coloured party for the crowd who loved up her performance. Dua, 29, also found time close to her gigs to head to her Radical Optimism pop-up store she had created in Shoreditch around her hit album and these shows. Whilst there she could be seen chatting to fans, taking photos and creating her now famous drink 'Pickle And Jalapeño Diet Coke'. It has been quite a few weeks for the singing star, who will go on to play two nights at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool on June 24 and 25 before heading to Dublin on June 27. Last month she was named the most played artist across radio, TV and public places in the UK for a second just a week ago she confirmed she is engaged to Callum Turner and they went public on the news with her admitting she is 'obsessed' with her new ring. However, the couple - who began dating in January 2024 - have yet to set a wedding date because of their busy work schedules. One thing that does seem certain, though, is that London will remain Dua Lipa's home for a long time to come. We can reveal that mega renovations at her London home are costing £6 million - nearly the same price as she paid for the house. But it will take years to complete as workers using hand-held tools to appease posh neighbours and the local conservation group. While she's currently zipping around the world on tour, playing at Wembley tonight, work on the home she bought for £6.75M in March 2020 could take years to finish. The property is undergoing a major transformation, but the construction team have to work at a snail's pace, using hand-held tools and machinery barely above the noise of a whisper. It took the singer three years to win planning permission, finally in March 2024, for a ground floor extension and mega-basement with a music studio, pool, gym, cinema and chill out area. But there were lots of rules attached to Camden Council's approval after her plans received complaints from the local conservation group, who were concerned about the 'loss of space', 'loss of trees' and 'drainage issues'. Her vast team of experts promised that noise would be kept to a minimum and all machinery and equipment be mounted with 'anti-vibration isolators'. It'll be four times the size of the previous basement, at 310 square metres, she's having over 500 tonnes of soil excavated, and her team will have to dig at least six metres under the surface without affecting 17 historic trees surrounding the property and neighbouring properties as subsidence and flooding is a serious concern. Her architects have agreed to a roof which will blend into the garden - 'a biodiverse roof garden blanket on a biodegradable carrier, providing food and habitat for the local wildlife'. It's a huge job - and it may not be until 2027 until the star moves in. Property experts estimate the work costing as much £6million. 'It's within reason that she could be investing £3 million or more to make this a home that suits her needs, but you could also double that number depending on the level of bespoke customisation,' says Leigh Ann Raines from interior design firm Chic By Design. Architect Tina Patel agrees that the price could easily be in excess of £6 million, including consultancy fees.'At a modest £3,000 per square metres for finishes you be looking at £2.4 million to fit out the property, so factoring in the build, we would anticipate costs to be in the region of £5 million although it is very much a case of how long is a piece of string as this could be exceeded with specialist items. 'On top of this, you would be looking at about 15-18% for consultants' fees. I would expect the build to take upwards of two years.' At least the money side of things seems unlikely to be too much of an issue for Dua. Accounting books from her Radical Live firm filed in July 2024 at Companies House showed she raked in an extraordinary £1 million a WEEK from 2023-2024 from her music, swelling her fortune to around £100m. The star, 28, turned over an eye-watering £51.6m - up from £24.5m in 2022. And a healthy £21.8m was profit for Dua - a rise of £13m from the previous 12 months. She hasn't looked back since her single Levitating was named the No1 song on the US charts of 2021. It was featured on her album Future Nostalgia, which was the best-selling new record of the year in the UK for 2020 and it hit number three in the States. She's also branched out into acting, including roles in Greta Gerwig's Barbie, which also contained her fourth UK Number 1 single, Dance The Night. And then there are the seven Brit Awards and three Grammys. She was included on the Time 100 Next list in 2021. Her collaboration with Sir Elton John, Cold Heart, became her third No1 single here and her third studio album called 'Radical Optimism is now a year old but still loved by fans the world over. She has also had lucrative endorsement deals with Evian water and Yves Saint Laurent and is a Versace model.
Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Emma Raducanu parents' boyfriend ban & Carlos Alcaraz's girlfriend difficulties
Tennis stars seemingly live a life of luxury, but there are certain aspects of the sport that can prove difficult, as Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray know all too well Life as a top tennis player may appear luxurious, but the demanding lifestyle can come at a significant cost. Achieving success on the international stage requires more than talent - it takes an incredible amount of time and dedication to training. As a result, elite tennis players face challenges in their private lives, sacrificing leisure activities and precious time with loved ones, while forging romantic connections can also prove difficult - something that Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz and Andy Murray know all too well. During an interview with The Sunday Times last year, Alcaraz acknowledged the pressures of maintaining a love life, saying: "I am single. I am looking for someone. It can be difficult as a tennis player to meet the right person because you are travelling all the time." Just a year earlier, he told Vogue:"It's complicated, never staying in one place. It's hard to find the person who can share things with you if you're always in different parts of the world." Whether Alcaraz's personal circumstances have since shifted remains to be seen, but the tennis pro has yet to go public with a relationship. British sensation Raducanu, meanwhile, told The Times about a boyfriend ban in her household during her formative years as a player. She said: "My parents were very much against [boyfriends] as it interfered with training. When I was younger, I wasn't even allowed to hang out with my girl friends. A lot of the time I was very resentful, but it made me very confident and comfortable in my own company." After reaching adulthood, Raducanu went public with her relationship with Carlo Agostinelli in 2023. Sadly, insiders told The Sun the next year that they had split and that the relationship had "run its course". Even tennis veterans like Murray can recount the clash between professional life and personal affairs. Murray recently told GQ about the effect his career had on his honeymoon with Kim Sears after their 2015 wedding. He said: "When we got married, our honeymoon was in Barcelona, and I was doing a training block. "Essentially, we got to spend a couple of nights with each other, but I was practising during the day, training and going to the gym and doing all my physio work. [A honeymoon] is very important for most couples. "Maybe for her it was too, but she was willing to sacrifice that to allow me to chase my goals. She's super important to everything I achieved, so now I'm trying my best to make up for all that." He added: "She's been a huge support and a massive, massive part of my career. When you're playing, you don't always appreciate that. I think a lot of individual athletes - me included - would be selfish at times. You think a lot about yourself and your own performance, and your mood is reflective of whether you've had a good match. Say, I won. I'm in a good mood. I lost, I'm in a bad mood. "It's not really fair on the people around you. But even at the end, when I was struggling physically and was not winning many matches, and we had young children, Kim was always so supportive of me continuing to play because she knew I loved the sport and loved playing."
