Brigadier Peter Stewart-Richardson was today announced the winner of the Risk-Taking category for this year's Beacon Prize.  He was chosen by an independent panel of judges after the public nominated him for his outstanding contribution to charity.

79 year old Peter was chosen for his work in Afghanistan with the trust Maydan Margah Clinic, which since 2003 has been the charity Afghan Mother and Child Rescue (AMCR). In overseeing its projects and ensuring their implementation, the Brigadier has selflessly taken considerable financial and personal risks over the last fifteen years. Now, 20,000 children have benefited from vaccines provided by AMCR.

Peter set up the clinic in the early 1990s to ensure that women and children in Afghanistan were properly cared for. Despite the constraints and dangers of operating under Taliban rule and since 9/11, he has motivated Afghans to build hospitals and emergency obstetric clinics around the country, instituted vaccination programmes for childhood diseases, run education schemes for girls and developed the very successful idea of village bakeries which help war widows to survive financially.

In addition Peter has been extremely active in fundraising schemes for all these projects, such as parachute jumping and direct lobbying. Today, as he approaches 80, he is still actively taking risks and ensuring that the goods and services given are delivered safely.

Emily Stonor, Chief Executive of Beacon, said "It is very rare that a person takes such enormous personal risks to help other people, and Peter's ongoing work is a huge testament to his character. It is Beacon's honour to recognise Peter for all of the wonderful work he has done in hugely adverse conditions."

Peter added, "With all the hardships that Afghan people have endured in recent times, it is a pleasure to do what I can. I hope that this award helps illustrate to people the good work that is going on there and shows just exactly what can be achieved in Afghanistan." 

The Beacon Prize celebrates and raises the profile of charitable giving in the UK by giving recognition to those who have made a significant contribution to charity, whether through giving resources, time or specialist skills. Peter is one of the 2004 Beacon Prize winners, who also include Sir Bob Geldof and Jamie Oliver.

ENDS For further information please contact Jennifer Morgan on 020 7861 8609 or email jmorgan@bell-pottinger.co.uk. or Emily Stonor at Beacon on 020 7849 6550 or email emily.stonor@beaconfellowship.org.uk

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Brigadier Peter Steward-Richardson for his contribution in response to the needs of women and children in Afghanistan

Prize Category: Risk Taking

Brigadier Peter Stewart-Richardson, 80 next year, has dedicated himself in his retirement to addressing the needs of people in Afghanistan. In the early 1990's he set up the trust the Maydan Margah Clinic, now a registered charity called Afghan Mother and Child Rescue (AMCR), and his commitment to the charity has led him to take financial and personal risks in order to oversee and ensure that his projects are implemented. 

For the last 15 years Brigadier Peter has put his experiences in the Forces towards peaceful and positive causes. Since the early 1990's he has worked to ensure that women and children are properly cared for by establishing the Maydan Margah Clinic, which has successfully motivated Afgans to build hospitals and emergency obstretric clinics around the country.  The trust was responsible for building a 40 bed hospital at Chak-e-Wardak, an irrigation system at Namu and a mother and child health clinic at Rokka in the Panjshir Valley. It has also provided the Rokka clinic in Panjshir with solar powered lighting and a vaccine refrigerator, updated the delivery room and other facilities, and has set up hygiene lectures and training sessions, attended by 50 patients each week. The hospital now has an ambulance with three paid drivers and an operational maintenance programme. 20,000 children have been saved from mild childhood diseases through the vaccination programme that the clinic has provided. A team, trained by a Swedish committee, goes to a different village every week to administer the vaccines. The AMCR is hoping to extend its help to 40,000 people in Aqtipa who are in desperate need of medical help.

Peter's work also includes education and income generation schemes. He has helped provide education to 2,500 girls at the Bibi Miriam School at Talaqan. Peter has also developed the idea of village bakeries, which has helped war widows survive financially. The bakeries have been so successful that 17 other villages have requested bakeries to be built at their location.

Peter has been extremely active in fundraising schemes such as parachute jumping and direct lobbying and has led numerous missions, all very dangerous, to Afghanistan in order to ensure the projects are implemented.  Today he is still actively taking risks and, at the age of 79, still ensures that the goods and services given are delivered safely.

"Brigadier Peter is and always has been the driving force behind this charity and without his steely determination and charismatic leadership, AMCR would never have existed." Major Roddy Jones, Treasurer of AMCR

"Eleanor Roosevelt defined leadership as the art of getting people to do what they don't want and like it. Peter does that in spades." Nicholas Gold

Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust

The Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust (Beacon) seeks to promote an improved culture of giving, in which it is natural for those who are best able to contribute to charitable and social causes, to use their time, energy, ability and resources for the public good.

The Beacon Prize is an annual awards scheme designed to recognise and showcase individuals who have made exceptional contributions to charitable or social causes.  The winners are likely to have helped create or transform a charity, project or cause through providing leadership, skill, time or money.

www.beaconfellowship.org.uk for press releases and biographies of the winners

Beacon Prize Winners 2004:

• Sir Bob Geldof - Leadership
• Dr Mohammad Amran - Community Builder
• Rosalind Portman - New Initiatives
• Professor Peter Guthrie - Creative Giving
• Bruce Crowther - Creative Giving
• Brigadier Peter Stewart-Richardson - Risk Taking
• Jake Bonsall - Young Philanthropist
• Jamie Oliver - Most Generous Celebrity
• John Studzinsky - Most Generous Business Leader
• Francesca D'Arcy - Most Generous Young Person
• Major Richard Carr-Gomm - Lifetime Achievement
• Sigrid Rausing - Judges' Special Prize
• Dr Frederick Mulder - Judges' Special Prize Ann Cotton - Judges' Special Prize
• Dr Mora Scott - Scotland
• Sir David Rowe-Beddoe - Wales
• Dennis Humble - England
• Niall Fitzduff - Northern Ireland