Patrons

We are delighted to have the support of the following patrons who act as our ambassadors:

Emma Barton

Emma Louise Barton is an English actress. She is most well known for playing Honey Mitchell in EastEnders and taking part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2019.

Paul Bird

Paul Bird Motorsport are a British motorcycle road racing and rallying organisation. The owner Paul Bird competed as a rally driver and was formerly a solo-rider in motocross.

Michael Caines MBE

Michael Andrew Caines MBE DL is an English chef born in Exeter, Devon. He was head chef of Gidleigh Park in Devon until January 2016. He is currently the executive chef of the Lympstone Manor hotel between Exeter and Exmouth.

Peter Davison

Peter Davison is an English actor with many credits in television dramas and sitcoms. He became famous as Tristan Farnon in the BBC's television adaptation of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small stories.

Dame Judi Dench DBE

Dame Judith Olivia Dench CH DBE FRS A is an English actress, artist and author. Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years, she performed in several of Shakespeare's plays, in such roles as Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Her career continued into films and TV, including James Bond movies and many period dramas.

Damon Hill OBE

Damon Graham Devereux Hill, OBE is a British former racing driver. He is the son of Graham Hill, and, along with Nico Rosberg, one of only two sons of a Formula One world champion to also win the title. He started racing on motorbikes in 1981, and after minor success moved on to single-seater racing cars.

Georgie Hill

Georgie Hill is the wife of Damon Hill and untiring supporter of the Down’s Syndrome Association and the mother of a young man who has Down’s syndrome.

Kevin Kilbane

Kevin Daniel Kilbane is a former professional footballer who played as a left winger or full back. Kilbane won 110 caps for the Republic of Ireland national team, fourth behind only Robbie Keane and Shay Given and John O'Shea as the most capped Irish player of all time.

Derrick Evans MBE

90s television and fitness legend Derrick Evans MBE, AKA Mr Motivator is committed to making exercise inclusive. He worked with us during the COVID-19 pandemic to make his online workouts available to our members and supporters.

Dr Sarah Gordy MBE

Sarah has appeared in countless TV productions and in 2018, became the first person with Down’s syndrome to receive an honorary degree from a UK university. She was also awarded an MBE for her services to the arts and people with disabilities. She is a fierce campaigner and has been hailed as a role model for challenging attitudes towards people with learning disabilities by her performances.

Sally Phillips and her son, Olly

Actor Sally has become an advocate for the Down’s syndrome community. She hopes to build on this in her role as Patron. Olly is currently at college and wants to bring good change for people with Down’s syndrome.

Christine Lampard

Christine Lampard is a Northern Irish broadcaster, best known for her television work with the BBC and ITV. She has presented various television programmes with Adrian Chiles, such as The One Show and Daybreak, and with Phillip Schofield she has presented Dancing on Ice and This Morning.

Perry Fenwick

Perry Fenwick is an English actor. He is known for portraying the role of Billy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, a role which he has played since 1998.

David Flatman

David Luke Flatman is an English sports pundit and former rugby union player who played prop. Flatman represented England eight times between 2000 and 2002, playing club rugby for Saracens and Bath.

Shane Geraghty

Shane Geraghty is an English rugby union player who plays for Stade Francais in the French Top 14 Geraghty normally plays at Centre or at Fly-half.

Sarah Greene

Elizabeth Sarah Greene is an English television presenter and actress. She presented Blue Peter from May 1980 until June 1983, and hosted Saturday-morning shows Saturday Superstore,and Going Live!

Richard Hibbard

Richard Hibbard is a Wales international rugby player currently playing for the Dragons. Hibbard was born in Neath, Wales. A hooker, he started playing rugby at age grade levels at clubs in the town of Port Talbot, including Aberavon Quins RFC and Taibach RFC.

John Humphrys

Desmond John Humphrys is a Welsh broadcaster. From 1981 to 1987 he was the main presenter for the Nine O’Clock News, the flagship BBC News television programme, and from 1987 until 2019 he presented on the BBC Radio 4 breakfast programme Today.

Liam Neeson

Liam John Neeson OBE is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has been nominated for a number of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor, a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and three Golden Globe Awards for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama.

Craig Phillips

Craig Phillips is an English television personality and builder. He is known for winning the first series of Big Brother in 2000. He is trained as a bricklayer, and has appeared in numerous series related to building since 2001.

Fiona PHillips

Fiona Phillips is an English journalist, broadcaster and television presenter. She is best known for her presenting roles with the ITV Breakfast programme GMTV Today.

Nicky Piper MBE

Nicky Piper MBE is a retired Welsh super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer from Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. His career was at its peak in the 1990s; he became the Commonwealth Light-heavyweight champion in 1995.