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Star helps launch Little People UK
Actor Warwick Davis visits Pen Green Children's Centre, Corby, where the support group Little People UK is holding a weekend workshop and other events. The organisation has been created to help those affected by dwarfism. Pictured are founders (L-R): Warwick & Sam Davis, Fiona Reilly, Joanne Armstrong & Chris Brenchley.
Star Wars and Life’s Too Short actor Warwick Davis was in Corby at the weekend to promote a new national group for little people.
More than 130 people from across the country attended the launch of Little People UK at Pen Green Children’s Centre in Corby on Saturday and Sunday.
The aim of the new organisation is for people to share knowledge and experiences of dwarfism, including medical expertise.
Warwick, who has appeared in a string of successful Hollywood films over the past three decades, including Star Wars: Episode VI Return of Jedi, Willow, Ray, the Harry Potter films and the BBC2 series by Ricky Gervais, Life’s Too Short, said he was delighted by the turn-out.
He said: “Little People UK is an organisation for little people and families affected by dwarfism.
“It’s a way for us to share knowledge and resources.
“We want to bring together medical expertise because there are people with dwarfism born all over the country and doctors don’t always understand the condition – we hear stories all the time of parents who haven’t had a diagnosis for at least three years.
“There’s also the social aspect.
“It’s lovely for parents to be able to share experiences, and for little people themselves to be able to share experiences.”
Warwick and his wife Sam, who live in the Peterborough area, founded the organisation with a group of people affected by dwarfism, including Fiona Reilly, Chris Brenchley and Joanne Armstrong, of Corby, who is vice-chairman of the governors at Pen Green.
She said: “We wanted to have a celebration of the new group. I’s important to me because my six-year-old daughter Hope has dwarfism.
“I wanted to be part of it because I wanted her to be able to meet families like ours and to meet friends.”
Sam Davis said starting the group was something that she and Warwick had wanted to do for the past 20 years.
She said: “Our door is always open to families.”
The group wanted to thank Paul Hinton of Leisure Windows in Corby, and Rockingham Joinery, for making special steps which visitors used to enable them to reach the bar during their stay at the Best Western Rockingham Forest Hotel at the weekend.
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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Pointofview
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:39 AMThe restricted growth association has been established 40 years. Warwick and his wife made no mention of this when they appeared on national tv promoting this group because in their view no other existed out there. To say all are welcome is not true. If you don't happen to like warwick's latest comedy you may have received an email letting you know you are not welcome. Some parents and people with restricted growth feel the comedy life's too short was highly discriminatory against people with dwarfism. Whilst this group may suit some for social support etc. others remain sceptical. All the best to little people UK, let's hope it is more than a Celebrity fan club.
Gene Simmons
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 08:52 PMWarwick is class, well done to all of you for creating this group.
Comedian
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 10:20 AMAhhh the pieces fall into place.we saw Mr&mrs Davis at pen green a few weeks ago and wondered what they were doing in Corby.Such a good idea,The remarkable Pen Green center continues to defy those who seem to want to undermine it by adding more strings to it's bow as a center of excellence.
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