Patrons
Richard Gere
Richard Gere is an American film actor, a well-known Buddhist, and an active supporter of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a keen supporter of Tibetan cultural preservation
Joanna Lumley OBE FRGS
Joanna Lumley is a British actor who was born in Kashmir. She is a campaigner for the preservation of Tibetan culture and has an interest in and concern about environmental matters, sponsoring the Joanna Lumley Fellowship in Environmental Science at the University of Oxford.
The Viscount and Viscountess Cowdray
"We are pleased to support the good work of the Druk Padma Karpo School. The Ladakhi children benefit hugely from the school, in communities where schooling would otherwise not be available. We are glad to see the school growing in strength and number since its beginning in 2001 and continue to fund raise on their behalf".
The Rt. Hon. the Dowager Countess Cawdor
Countess Cawdor is an enthusiastic supporter of DPKS and is keen to see the school extend into further education territory.
Drukpa Trust (a charity registered in England No.1178756) supports the school through capital fundraising and project management of the design and construction. Drukpa Trust was founded in 1992 at the inception of the school project and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was a founding Patron.
"The idea of having a modern school which lays equal importance on preserving the valuable aspects of a traditional culture is very encouraging. I have always believed in giving equal importance to both modern, scientific knowledge and traditional Buddhist culture. A proper synthesis can give rise to positive result."
Live to Love, an international NGO supports the school through capital fundraising and value-added educational resources. His Holiness The Gyalwang Drukpa initiated the Live to Love movement, a secular philosophy that encourages communities to use kindness and wisdom to heal the modern world’s challenges, and to celebrate diversity of faiths and cultures. Live to Love International is the resulting global network of non-profit organisations focused on those goals, pioneering multiple local and cross-border projects throughout the Himalayas and beyond.
Supporters
The Yardbirds
One of the most influential rock bands of all time, the Yardbirds launched the careers of Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. In their current line-up, with original member James McCarty, the Yardbirds have played several gigs for the benefit of Druk Padma Karpo School.
Donovan Philips Leitch
Donovan has been involved with the school for many years, even visiting the site in Shey before construction started. He was the featured artist in January 2008 for the first "Sounds of Our Times" radio concert in New York. Druk Padma Karpo School was his charity of choice.