back               click here to download Penny and Rod Video .wmv                UCL Press Release July 2005 

New Years Day 2008  :  ITV who wants to be a millionaire Quiz show: Host Chris Tarrant invited model, actress and photographer Penny Lancaster Stewart and her Strictly Come Dancing partner Ian Waite to take to the hot-seat and play for their chosen charities the Lowe Syndrome Trust and Wellchild.  Penny raised £10,000 for the Lowe Syndrome Charity. 

Oct 2006 - Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart produce Video for Charity  Ball 

Lowe Syndrome Charity Patron Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart recorded a special video message for the Masquerade Ball in October 2006.  Pictured is a still from the video recorded in LA USA with Penny, baby Alastair and Rod. Rod also donated a gold disk for the charity action (pictured). click to download Penny and Rod Video .wmv 

July 2005 - Actress Penny Lancaster has become a Patron of the Charity.    

Penny Lancaster, Patron of the Lowe Syndrome Trust presents research grant to the Institute of Ophthalmology, London See UCL Press Release July 2005 Patron Penny Lancaster and Charity Chair Lorraine Thomas present a cheque to Dr Tim Levine for Cataract Research.   

Penny Lancaster, met Dr Tim Levine , Lecturer in Cell Biology at the Institute of Ophthalmology , University College London.  Together with clinical colleagues at Moorfields Eye Hospital , they will be tackling a rare genetic disease thanks to funds from the charity the Lowe Syndrome Trust.

Ms Lancaster was delighted to hand over a cheque for £50,000 to Dr Levine, which will fund a three year research project entitled “The Cell Biology of the Effects of Lowe Syndrome in the Eye”.

Lowe Syndrome is a rare incurable disorder that affects only boys and produces congenital cataracts in the lens of both  eyes, muscle weakness, weak bones, kidney and brain development problems. Sadly life expectancy is short.

The disease was first recognised in 1952 by Dr Charles Lowe, and is caused by a gene mutation which makes a defective version of an enzyme named OCRL1, which is needed for normal function of tissues like the lens, brain and kidney, although the reasons for this are still quite unclear.

Pictured is Penny with Charity chair Lorraine Thomas and Oscar who has Lowe Syndrome.

On July 17th 2005 The Sunday Express newspaper reported the cheque presentation for the UCL cataract research project by Penny, and an article was in OK! magazine.