Alexander McLean, aged 22, is the founder and director of the charitable initiative 'The African Prisons Project', and has been recognised for his impressive philanthropic efforts with this year's top Beacon Prize of £30,000.

The prize-giving ceremony took place on 22nd November at The Banqueting House, Whitehall, where 13 winners were inaugurated as Beacon Fellows (a community of Beacon Prize winners who together champion charitable causes across the globe and nurture a wider culture of giving in the UK), but only Alexander received the cash prize of £30,000 to donate the charitable cause of his choice. 

Alex's story is quite exceptional: following a gap year visit in 2003 to East Africa, Alex - then aged just 19 - refurnished a sick bay in Luzira Maximum Security prison, Uganda, and it was after encountering the dreadful conditions in the prison and its hospital, that he felt he must do something to change their environment and that of all similar prisons and hospitals in Africa.

His African Prisons Project aims to alleviate the suffering of men, women and children who are prisoners in Africa, where they are kept in appalling conditions; malnutrition, inadequate health care and hygiene, overcrowding and brutal regimes are prevalent.

He has provided exceptional help to a group of people who often have no one else. As a result of his outstanding work, the Commissioner of Mambia prisons invited him to replicate his achievements in Kenya.  Alex's dedication to the project is evidenced by his willingness to speak publicly about it; often having to give talks during university term to churches, schools, radio stations and newspapers.

Beacon's Chairman Martyn Lewis said:

"Alex's achievement is phenomenal.  He and his colleagues had to overcome so many hurdles.  This is an incredible example of self-sacrifice, which shows real results in improving the lives of those less fortunate."

Alex has joined the ranks of previous Beacon winners such as Sir Bob Geldof, Jamie Oliver and environmentalist Zac Goldsmith who have all been recognised for their charitable work through what has become known as the 'Nobel Prize of the charity world', first coined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

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For further information on the Beacon Prize, winners' biographies and photos of the 2007 award recipients or on The Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust contact Fintan Nicholls on 0207 203 8295 or email fintan.nicholls@beaconfellowship.org.uk

Biography Alexander McLean

22 year old Alexander McLean is the founder and director of the charitable initiative 'The African Prisons Project' which aims to alleviate the suffering of men, women and children who are prisoners in Africa. Under a brutal regime and in the most squalid conditions, they suffer neglect, malnutrition, inadequate health care and hygiene and gross overcrowding.

Following a gap year visit in 2003 to Uganda, Alex, then aged 19, refurnished a sick bay in Luzira Maximum Security prison, Uganda. After encountering the dreadful conditions in the prison and the adjacent hospital, he felt that he must do something to change their environment. He encountered prisoners who were laying in their own filth in a ward with no windows or lights. Whilst most students were spending their summer break from University on holiday, Alex was occupying his time to help a group, whom society had turned their back on, providing them with beds, blankets and mattresses; showing them that their lives were not worthless. Alex returned the following year, after the prisoners requested educational materials, with 7,000 donated books and refurnished the women's prison and death row clinic. In 2006, he refurbished cells at a detention centre in Sierra Leone, where the children were imprisoned for petty crimes such as loitering. They slept on a cold floor with one blanket between three children. Alex provided them with beds, pillows, mattresses and linen. Many of children detained in custody were already malnourished and this was exacerbated through their detention. Alex's response was to start an agricultural project providing them with seeds to help them grow their own food and give them a more balanced diet.

By his work, Alex has provided exceptional help to a group of people who often have no one else. As a result of his dedication and commitment, the Commissioner of Zambia's prisons invited Alex to replicate his Kenyan achievements in the Zambian prisons. Alex's dedication to the project is clear by his willingness to speak publicly about it; often presenting during university term time to churches, schools, radio stations and newspapers.

In doing all of this work, he has also put himself at risk. In Sierra Leone, there was inadequate food, no hot water to bathe in and no electricity in his accommodation. Alex contracted Malaria, causing him to lose several stone in weight. Whilst working with sick patients, he also faced the risk of contracting tuberculosis and experienced many life threatening incidences, including dealing with the danger of HIV transmission through AIDS infected needles.

Alex found the refurbishment of Kenyan prisons difficult, facing opposition and obstruction from many of the prison guards who made it difficult for the project to begin.

However despite the these obstacles, Alex has devoted himself to the care and welfare of the prisoners, providing them with much needed educational materials and in the case of the Sierra Leone children, providing farming tools and seeds which enabled them to not only supplement their diet but also an opportunity to develop their self-belief, showing them their capability through work and achievement through this work. Alex has restored a sense of self-esteem to a people who have had all vestiges of their humanity oppressed and diminished.

"The achievement of Alexander Mclean and his colleagues is outstanding and they have had to overcome numerous hurdles to achieve an incredible feat. Their self-sacrifice to better the lives of those less fortunate is highly commendable".

Amanda Rose, British High Commission, Nairobi

Notes for Editors

The Beacon Fellowship is a charitable organisation, set up to encourage individual contributions to charitable and social causes and to celebrate and showcase best practice in giving.  Beacon awards annual prizes to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to charitable causes or to organisations that benefit the public.

An overall winner is selected each year and awarded a cash prize of £30,000, which is invested in an innovative way by the winner in a charity of their choice.  Beacon believes that by highlighting the achievements of the prize-winners and showcasing innovation and best practice in philanthropy, others will be inspired and encouraged to make their own contribution.

The objectives of the Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust are as follows:

• To run a nationally recognised prize scheme, through which the charity sector and the general public can acknowledge and reward  exceptional philanthropic acts by individuals (giving of time, leadership, money, skills and ideas).
• To highlight motivating role models and forms of giving to inspire and educate the next generation of donors.
• To showcase and implement innovative grant-making techniques through an annual grant by Beacon.
• To develop a Fellowship body of prize-winners who, as they grow in number, are an active force in the charity sector and help raise general awareness and educate the general public.

www.beaconfellowship.org.uk