They wanted to set up a group to keep their 23-year-old daughter Olivia, who has Down’s syndrome, occupied.

But two years on Kim and Kevin Barry now run three drama, arts and music clubs a week for children and young adults in supported learning.

With 85 members the Boathouse Theatre Company has almost become a full-time job for the founders.

After putting on five productions, props and sets were piling too high in their conservatory in Pett, near Hastings, for comfort and they hired an office.

Mr Barry said: “I took redundancy at work and started looking at what Olivia does socially, how she and her friends meet up and what do they do. There was not much going on.”

Driven by Olivia’s passion for music, dance, singing and drama they set up the group on a Sunday.

Mr Barry said: “When we started off we had 10 people. Now we have 38 on our books just on a Sunday.”

He added: “We’re a victim of our own success. We have lots of people ringing all the time who want to join us.

“While I never turn anyone away we keep trying to get more money to pay for more teachers.”

So far the young people have taken to the stage for five per- formances in total and are currently rehearsing for Seadog Millionaire in July.

The take on the Bollywood box office hit takes inspiration from East Sussex sea shanties.

They are filming the making of the play and plan to enter the finished show into a disability film festival after a showing at the Electric Palace Cinema next year.

The club also has a Christmas variety performance every year and has been to London to see musicals twice, thanks to the gen- erosity of an anonymous donor.

Mr Barry said: “They are all just fantastic. One guy sings like a professional opera singer.

“It doesn’t matter whether they are five or 26.

“No one is expected to do a pol- ished performance. It’s all about what you can do to the best of your ability.

“If anyone is not having fun you have missed the point of why we’re there.”

Mr and Mrs Barry were nominated for The Argus Local Hero award by Miranda Kemp from Sussex Community Foundation, which has supported the group financially.

She said: “This project is fab and Kevin and Kim are inspirational.”

Hundreds of heroes go almost unnoticed in our local communities.

But The Argus is determined to give them the recognition they thoroughly deserve.

We have teamed up with housing repair and maintenance company Mears to launch our weekly Local Heroes Award.

We are inviting readers to nominate their candidates and tell us why they have put them forward for the award.

Contact Kimberly Middleton on 01273 544519 or email kimberly.middleton@theargus. co.uk.