‘No one stares or takes photos of us here’

are to ‘empower and connect’ people.

‘This is like our second family,’ says mum-of-two Karina Warr, 41, from Bolton. ‘This weekend really brings your spirits up.’

Lewis Bird, 16, from Leeds, who suffers from Morquio syndrome, a rare condition that restricts growth, has ventured out of his motorised wheelchair for a game of Nerf Wars. ‘At home, I only have one friend, but here, I feel part of something,’ he says.

And LPUK provides more than a sense of belonging. When Jenny and Mark Corns, from Loughborough, were pregnant with their twins, Katie and Emelia, now four, they had no idea the girls were dwarves, because it didn’t show up on scans.

‘It’s great for them to come to the convention and see others like themselves,’ says Jenny, 44. ‘But it’s not just about meeting others. Last year, we learnt so much more about dwarfism – what could happen, what to look out for, where to get support.’

Heading into the cooking demo are 4ft 3in Collette Haynes, 40, and partner Charlie Hayes, 58, who is 5ft 9in. This is Collette’s second time at the convention, and it’s changed her life.

The only child of averageheight parents, Collette, from Somerset, rarely encountered another little person. ‘ When I did, I found it really upsetting,’ she says. ‘I thought of myself as being just like everyone else, so seeing another person with dwarfism was a shock. I couldn’t accept that I looked like that, too.’ It was watching Sam on

Loose Women that led her to LPUK. ‘Her confidence has soared. She’s like another woman,’ says Charlie.

‘If you tell anyone with dwarfism that they can’t do something, they’ll do everything they can to prove you wrong,’ say Warwick. ‘Through the charity, I want to make sure that kids have dreams and aspirations and the confidence to try. Metaphorically and literally, nothing is out of reach.’ l For more info, visit littlepeopleuk.org