Sir Bob Geldof

Sir Bob Geldof has mobilized and united people across the world to help alleviate poverty, famine and genocide. Over the last 20 years he has raised millions of pounds and publicly campaigned on numerous issues. He has lobbied governments on and raised awareness of the need to cancel Third World Debt and is an advocate for the rights of fathers.

Sir Bob was born in Dublin and pursued a career in journalism before forming the successful rock group The Boomtown Rats. His involvement with charity began in 1984 when he saw a BBC documentary on the famine in Ethiopia. Immediately he flew to Africa to observe the situation and came back to the UK determined to do something about it. Band Aid was his response, persuading more than 40 of the UK's biggest music stars to record the single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and, from the resulting record sales, raising more than £8million for the famine relief effort.

Its success led to Live Aid and two further Band Aids, the latest in 2004 raising money for the famine in Sudan. The original concerts featured 16 hours of music from all the biggest names in pop. Statistics show that a third of the world's population watched the concerts live which raised over £60 million. Over the years Band Aid has financially supported a variety of charities including Oxfam, Water Aid, Farm Africa, the Christian Relief and Development Organisation and Help Age International. In the past year, donations have gone to SOS Sahel (an emergency seed programme), UNICEF and Goal UK (an emergency health intervention initiative).

Sir Bob has also helped form and support several organisations including DATA (Debt, Aid and Trade for Africa) and the Genocide Prevention Initiative. He has been involved with Christian Aid, launching their report on the State of Africa, and has worked with Bono from U2 to relieve Third World Debt. Most recently he has been campaigned for the rights of fathers.

In 2005 he has excelled himself by organising Live 8 and helping put debt forgiveness on the G8 agenda.

"It went beyond idealism and that ridiculous term activism, which basically means talking about something but doing nothing. We made giving exciting."

Sir Bob Geldof

"Ever since its launch 20 years ago, Band Aid has had a huge impact, raising the plight of the world's poorest and raising funds to help them. More than that, Band Aid has won millions to the cause of fighting global poverty."

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown MP

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