Pictured above: John Caudwell
Entrepreneur and charity founder, John Caudwell, will receive an
honorary doctoral degree from Birmingham City University in
recognition of his charitable work as Founder and Chairman of
Caudwell Children, which provides specialist equipment, treatment
and therapy for sick and disabled children throughout the UK.
John established Caudwell Children in 2000 and, since then, it
has become widely recognised as one of the country's fastest
growing children's charities.
John's aim was to create a sustainable charity where all funds
donated were used directly to change the lives of children.
Today, he remains as passionate about his charitable
commitments as ever. As Caudwell Children's largest benefactor, he
personally donates the cost of the Charity's annual management and
administration overheads and sits as Chairman of the Board of
Trustees alongside its ambassadors which include Hollywood
actresses Joan Collins and Elizabeth Hurley; Rod Stewart and Penny
Lancaster; Bruce Forsyth; and singer, Robbie Williams. John
also has interests in other leading charities, including the
Princes Trust, The Elton John Aids Foundation, The Gorbachev
Foundation and the NSPCC.
John first tasted success in the mobile phone industry in the
1980s, when he invested in 26 mobile phones. In the first two years
of business, he lost £2,000 a month but his faith in the
fledgling mobile phone market was justified and, a year later, he
had turned a £24,000 annual loss into a £500,000
profit. By 2009, John was ranked as number 25 in The Sunday Times
Rich List.
He now devotes the majority of his time to charity work and is
determined that his money and time should be used for the benefit
of those less fortunate than himself.
John's award will be conferred at 10.45 am on Wednesday 26
January at the Awards Congregation ceremony, held at Symphony Hall,
Birmingham, which will celebrate the work and achievements of
students graduating from the Birmingham City Business School and
the Faculty of Health.