Posted on 26th January 2012
Philanthropists have been honoured in the Queen’s New Year Honours list reflecting the government’s desire to encourage giving and those who contribute to its concept of Big Society. However, there was some controversy as a major donor to the Conservative party Paul Ruddock received a knighthood and ex-convict Gerald Ronson was awarded a CBE.
The philanthropists are listed below under their awards:
Knights bachelor
Philanthropist Rod Aldridge has been knighted for services to young people. He set up academy schools in the Brighton area and established the Aldridge Foundation, which aims to help young people fulfil their potential. He is also chair of v - the youth volunteering charity and The Lowry. In 2006 he retired from Capita, the company he founded.
Michael Bear, the 683rd Lord Mayor (2010-2011) was knighted for his services to regeneration, particularly in the Spitalfields area of London, to charity and to the City of London.
Doug Ellis received a knighthood for his charitable donations. He was chair of Aston Villa FC until 2006. He made his fortune in the package holiday industry. He donated holidays as raffle prizes and raised over £6m to build a hospital and other charitable projects including encouraging young people into sport.
Tesco's former chair David Reid was recognised for his services to business and charity. He is a director of the Tesco Charity Trust, which spends around £5m a year on good causes and he is a chair of Whizz-Kids, a charity which helps disabled children.
Paul Ruddock was awarded for services to the arts. He is chair of the Victoria & Albert Museum, a trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and an Ambassador for AfriKids.
CBE
Owner of Bolton Wanderers, Edwin Davies was awarded for services to charity. A self-made millionaire he became chair of manufacturing company, Strix. He has supported a wide range of institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum, Manchester Business School, British Museum, Bolton Hospitals and the National Football Museum.
Professor Naim Dangoor was awarded for charitable services. An exiled Iraqi Jew, he vowed that if he ever made money he would give a significant amount to educational causes. He set up and ran a property development business and has given over £1m to fund university scholarships, helped to sponsor an academy and set up numerous charitable projects overseas.
Community Foundation Network chief executive Stephen Hammersley was awarded for services to philanthropy. He became chief executive of the Community Foundation Network in 2004 after working as trading director for the Tearfund charity. Before that he worked for Barclays Bank for 17 years.
Hammersley said: “Community foundations have more than doubled their philanthropic impact over the last few years with over three thousand people now using community foundations’ services to make their planned charitable giving effective and enjoyable.”
He added: “I am very fortunate to have been able to play a small part in the development of this movement and I hope that my colleagues at CFN and in community foundations will see the honour as a reflection of our success in helping make the UK a better place to live for many people.”
Charles William Holroyd was awarded for services to young people and the community in the North West.
Dr Frederick Mulder, the founding chair of The Funding Network was awarded for services to philanthropy. A Canadian art dealer, based in the UK, he has given much of his money to charity and encouraged other wealthy people to give to good causes. Dr Mulder said: “I am touched to have been given this honour, delighted to accept it, and only too aware that The Funding Network, in particular, would not have become the success it is without the generosity of the many people who have come to our events and given to the innovative charities that have presented.”
Dulwich Picture Gallery former chair James Lupton was awarded for services to the arts and philanthropy. In total he has given Dulwich Picture Gallery over £1.25m.
Gerald Ronson has been awarded for his charitable services, which includes donating substantial sums to NSPCC, the Prince’s Trust and Jewish Care. He was jailed in 1990 for his part in the Guinness share dealing scandal, although he has always claimed he was innocent.
Ian Stoutzker was awarded for services to music. He co-founded, with Yehudi Menuhin, an organisation called Live Music Now, which inspires young people to become musicians. It also organises over 3,000 musical performances a year in schools, community centres, prisons, hospitals, village halls and care homes.
James Wates was awarded for his services to the construction industry and the charitable sector. He is a trustee of the Wates Foundation and the Queen Elizabeth's Foundation for the Disabled, a member of the London Skills and Employment Board and also sits on the London Regional Council of The Prince's Trust.
Philanthropists receiving OBEs include Dr Alan Diamond, Jack Livingstone and William Rathbone.
