Trevor Beattie – For the love of Jack and Ada

Trevor Beattie, the advertising maverick who shook the world with his ‘FCUK’ campaign for French Connection and “Hello Boys” for Wonderbra, has launched a foundation that commemorates his inspirational parents Jack and Ada, to “assist the vulnerable and marginalised” of his Midlands birthplace and London where he made his name. Here he shares his inspiration.

I set up the Jack And Ada Beattie Foundation in honour and memory of my parents, and the parents of my seven brothers and sisters: Kevin, Pat, Sheila, Dave, Theresa, Paul and Pete.

Jack was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. Ada, Birmingham born and bred.

Jack Beattie was a stranger in a strange land, arriving in wartime Birmingham with nothing but an Irish accent as impenetrable as a block of peat and a twinkle in both eyes. He was no fan of authority. Or The System. Or anything which resembled rules, for that matter. But he had a powerful sense of right and wrong. He hated injustice. And he swept my Mum and Brum off their collective feet.

My Mum’s favourite movie was “It’s A Wonderful Life”. How very apt that proved to be. Hers was indeed a wonderful life, from the austerity of the 1920s to Champagne flights on Concorde and tea at Number 10 with the Prime Minister. She survived her workplace being bombed in the Second World War. Married a tall, dark Irish stranger.

And together they raised EIGHT children. Through the toughest of times. Ada passionately believed in education and the rewards it would bring in later life. That the pen was always mightier than the sword. (Anyone disrespecting this belief however, would soon discover that the slipper was mightier than both the pen AND the sword.)

Together, they were quite a force of nature. And it’s my abiding aim that The Jack & Ada Beattie Foundation will ensure that they remain together forever, as a force for good.

It will adhere to their life-long held principles of fair play, care for the vulnerable and getting the job done. It will fight against inequality in all its forms (when you come from a family of TEN, you soon learn the importance of equality) and will probably bear the Beattie’s healthy mistrust of authority.

 We don’t aim to eradicate global poverty, or tackle climate change by next Wednesday.

We will be fighting much smaller battles, backing achievable ambitions. Assisting the vulnerable and marginalised of the Midlands and London, by awarding grants of between £500 and £2,000 to individuals and charities whose aspirations match the spirit of Jack and Ada.

From continuing to support the D-Day Veterans to the Gift of Flight for the disabled and putting poor kids through media studies at University, we’d like our support to be as emotional as it is financial.

 Hence our mission statement:

“KNOWING THAT SOMEONE IS FIGHTING YOUR CORNER IS HALF THE BATTLE WON.”

The Foundation will have the joint themes of ‘Fight and Flight’: Doing battle on behalf of those we see as less able to defend themselves, and supporting the flight of ambition for who it is prevented.

Our prioritised areas of giving are: War Veterans; elderly care and vulnerable adults. We provide support through a grants scheme, which is open to organisations as well as individuals, operating in these areas of provision.

Let battle commence.

Trevor Beattie set up BMB in 2005.

In recent years, he has become a campaigner on local issues in and around his home town of Birmingham, including a high-profile campaign to prevent a 107-year old woman being evicted from her care home, and offering a bursary for a student to attend a Media studies course at City of Birmingham University.

For further details on the Jack and Ada Beattie Foundation and the Gala launch event on Friday 18th November, contact foundation director, Alexandra Taliadoros, at alexandra@beattiefoundation.com

 www.beattiefoundation.com