Sir Torquil Norman has been awarded the prestigious Beacon Special Prize 2007 for his work to address social exclusion through the arts. Torquil established the Norman Trust, a charity for children and young people, through which he gave a 99 year lease to The Roundhouse Trust - in addition to a commitment of £6.7 million - to provide a national performance venue and creative centre for the most disadvantaged.

Torquil is one of just 13 recipients of the Prize this year, all of whom were chosen for their exceptional philanthropic contribution through the giving of their time, money and skills in order to benefit specific charitable causes. He 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.

The main goal of Roundhouse is to equip the youth with the necessary skills to achieve what they aspire to be. A unique Creative Centre is set to accommodate an expected 10,000 young people a year, in addition to other services on offer which will provide the first few steps in rehabilitation, training and social inclusion.

The Norman family's commitment to this project is exemplary. The Norman Trust's endowment is projected to provide an income of £200,000 a year to Roundhouse in addition to helping subsidise training courses. Mr. Norman has actively engaged and incorporated young people in decision-making through the Youth Advisory Board.

He has searched for a model for the Government to adopt to help unprivileged youth throughout the country. Roundhouse aims to showcase to all stakeholders the importance of using the arts to build, instil confidence and train an otherwise neglected segment of society.

Acknowledging that hundreds of thousands of people are interested in arts education, but do not have access to it, or are unable to participate due to financial constraints, Mr Norman believes he has found a practical solution to many social problems experienced by children and teens between the ages of 13 and 23.

Beacon's Chairman Martyn Lewis said: : "We are delighted to award Torquil a Beacon prize. His achievement is tremendous, with disadvantaged children and young people gaining access to the arts, and developing the skills, confidence and sense of belonging that the arts can provide."

The Prize Ceremony took place on 22nd November at The Banqueting House, Whitehall, when 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.

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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