Richard Moore has been awarded a Beacon Special Prize for his work in founding and now directing Children in Crossfire, an organisation which seeks to tackle poverty primarily through practical projects involving children worldwide.

Richard is just one of six recipients of the 2008 Beacon Prize and joins 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.

Children in Crossfire helps children and young people who suffer from hunger, disease, physical and mental abuse etc as a result of poverty; children who are denied the basic right of an education, a home life and the most basic right of all, life itself. Over the last 12 years Children in Crossfire has supported projects in 14 different countries throughout Africa, Asia and South America. For example in Tanzania they are supporting a children's cancer unit providing much needed medical equipment. In Ethiopia they are in the process of re-housing 60 families who are currently living in make-shift houses in a graveyard.

Martyn Lewis, former Chairman of Beacon, who will be hosting Tuesday's Prize Ceremony, said: "Children in Crossfire shows what one man's drive and commitment can achieve globally. Richard's work is all the more remarkable given that he himself was blinded at ten years old after a rubber bullet was fired at point blank range in his face. In some, such an event might have left bitterness. In Richard it left a desire to help others and he has done so on an enormous scale."

Speaking just ahead of the prize-giving ceremony, Richard said: "I am delighted to receive this award, not least because I hope it will focus attention on the huge amount that still needs to be achieved in tackling poverty, because of the devastating impact it has on the world's children. It is also an acknowledgement of the hard work of my colleagues at Children in Crossfire and also those many donors, volunteers and partners throughout the world, that have supported our work".

Richard will receive his award at a Prize Ceremony on Tuesday 18 November 2008 at 'Room by the River', Southbank, London, SE1. All six winners will be 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. The ceremony will also see the overall Beacon Prize winner announced, receiving £30,000 to donate to the charitable cause of their choice.

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Notes for Editors

For further information on the Beacon Prize, winners' biographies and photos of the 2008 award recipients or on the Beacon Fellowship Charitable Trust please contact Maeve Anglim on 020 7203 8290 or maeve.anglim@beaconfellowship.org.uk

The full list for Beacon Prize winners for 2008 are:

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Ms Vikki George Beacon Young Philanthropist
For setting up 'PostPals', a website that invites people to make contact with a child with a chronic illness

Mr Tom Henderson Beacon Prize for New Initiatives
For setting up ShelterBox Trust to provide humanitarian aid worldwide for people displaced by natural and other disasters

Mr Paul Barry-Walsh Beacon Prize For Creative Giving
For setting up Frederick's Foundation which helps those who are disadvantaged to set up their own business

Mr Richard Moore Beacon Special Prize
For founding Children in Crossfire which works towards the eradication of poverty

Mr Kevin Jenkins (OBE) Beacon Prize for Community Builder
For his work with the children and young people of Newham

Dr Peter Carey Beacon Prize for Leadership
For his work with the Cambodia Trust

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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 will be selected every year, who will be given a cash award of £30,000, to be 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 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