Our Supporters
Dr Sarah Gordy, MBE
Sarah is an actor, dancer and model. She has acted in Upstairs Downstairs, Call the Midwife, The A Word and many more BBC TV shows and received fantastic reviews for her performance in The National Theatre's production of Jellyfish. In 2018 she became the first woman with Down syndrome to be made an MBE and, in the same year, the first person with Down syndrome to receive an honorary degree from a UK university, Nottingham. |
Sarah has written a wonderful foreword to Joe and Dusty Save the World in which she hopes that the book "helps everyone see the world needs all kinds of heroes, like Joe and Dusty."
Visit sarahgordy.com
Visit sarahgordy.com
Julie Hesmondhalgh
A much beloved actor and social justice champion, Julie became a household name playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street. Her sixteen years as Hayley won her numerous awards, as did her performances in Black Rose: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster and WIT at Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre. She also starred in Broadchurch and appeared in The A Word with Sarah Gordy. Julie is active in several causes and charitable organisations. She started and co-runs 500 Acts of Kindness, is a patron of Maundy Relief and, in 2015, she became one of the founders of Take Back, a political theatre company. |
Of Joe and Dusty Save the World, Julie says, "What a beautiful idea this is: to put a child with learning differences (and his dog companion) at the centre of the action."
Jackie Driver
Jackie has been recognised by both The List and Shaw Trust's Power 100 List as one of the UK’s most influential disabled people. She held a senior role at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and is currently seconded out to work across Manchester’s health and care sectors, designing programmes that address exclusion. Jackie is also Chair of Sign Health, a national Deaf led organisation improving Deaf people’s health and well being, and is the Chair of Breakthrough UK, which is a disabled led organisation. |
She has been secretary to the Board of Trustees of Manchester Deaf Centre and advisor to the Homes and Communities agency on equality and diversity. She has been instrumental in setting up the Fundamental Rights Agency experts’ platform aimed at addressing hate crime across Europe, and supported international research projects into people with learning disabilities in the criminal justice system.
Jackie says "This book reminds us about the common good in all of us that is so often eroded in the race for ...what exactly?"
Jackie says "This book reminds us about the common good in all of us that is so often eroded in the race for ...what exactly?"
Donations Support
These generous people have supported our campaign to give away free copies of Joe and Dusty Save the World with a donation of £50 or more via our Go Fund Me campaign.
These generous people have supported our campaign to give away free copies of Joe and Dusty Save the World with a donation of £50 or more via our Go Fund Me campaign.
Hormoz Ahmadzadeh
John Williams Lee, Andy, Lloyd & Eleanor |
Edwin de la Cruz
Rick & Ravi |
Julie Hesmondhalgh
Caitriona Vulliamy |
Jane Cordell
Ruediger Dehn |
Soraya Letterie
Adrian Mills |