Patron Damon Hill announces DSA office move

26/06/2003

Down's Syndrome Association patron and parent member Damon Hill today donated £10,000 - money raised by his band the 'Six Pistons' to help fund a national office move to a historic site in Kingston on Thames.

PICTURE CAPTION: F1 World Champion Damon Hill & the 'Six Pistons' (only four present!) give a cheque to Down's Syndrome Association Chief Executive at the partly refurbished theatre of the Langdon Down Centre.Click here to download .jpg

PICTURE CAPTION: F1 World Champion Damon Hill and (most of) the 'Six Pistons' don their hard hats at the site of the new Down's Syndrome Association national office.  Click here to download .jpg

Issue date:  Tuesday 24th June 2003

F1 WORLD CHAMPION DAMON HILL FUNDS CHARITY HEAD OFFICE MOVE TO HISTORIC SITE

Damon Hill – who is patron of the Down’s Syndrome Association and has a son with the condition – has handed the charity a £10,000 cheque, money his band ‘The Six Pistons’ raised by playing at various motor sport events.  The donation will help fund an essential national office move being announced today. 

The Down’s Syndrome Association is moving from its current offices in Tooting, South London, to join the the Strathcona Theatre Company at the historic Grade II Langdon Down Theatre, currently being refurbished as part of a development of 190 apartments and townhouses by Laing Homes Thames Valley. The Centre, on the site of the old Normansfield hospital (which is also part of Laing Homes’ restoration programme) is where the Victorian physician Dr Langdon Down ran a charitable institution providing accommodation, education and work for people with Down’s syndrome and other learning disabilities in a way that was considerably ahead of its time.  Langdon Down was also responsible for first defining the condition of Down’s syndrome.  As part of his programme of education he built a magnificent Theatre and residents were encouraged to use drama and music as a way to express themselves at a time when others were being condemned to a life in an asylum.  The Down’s Syndrome Association, Mencap and other learning disability groups will help to create a “Living Museum” to Dr Langdon Down and his pioneering work.

 

The move is expected to take place in the Autumn and, as well as providing the Down’s Syndrome Association offices with appropriate disabled access for the first time, it will also offer a venue for the charity’s growing conference and training programme. 

 

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Down’s Syndrome Association: For further information contact Sarah Waights, Communications Manager, tel:  mobile:  , e-mail: or go to www.downs-syndrome.org.uk.  

 

Laing Homes Thames Valley: For further information contact Niki Riley at Hallmark Associates, tel: , e-mail: or visit www.laing-homes.co.uk