Founder President and Trustee

Lord Snowdon – founder president and trustee

Lord Snowdon contracted polio at age 16 with his experiences since helping him understand the issues faced by disabled people. He went on to campaign strongly against discrimination towards them.

In the early 1970s he used his maiden speech in the House of Lords to highlight some the issues faced by disabled people and in 1974, he was asked to chair the Working Party on Integration of the Disabled.

The Snowdon Working Party report, published in 1976, was a landmark, being comprehensive, challenging and radical ­– and grounded in an understanding of disability as an equal opportunities, citizenship and rights issue. Education was one of seven areas explored in the report.

Identifying the critical link between post-16 qualifications, employment and socio economic integration, Lord Snowdon established The Snowdon Award Scheme in 1981, devising a scheme that help disabled young people gain an equal footing.

He set up The Snowdon Award Scheme in 1981, using £14,000 from fees he received for photographs of the royal family, accumulated in a trust fund while he was married to HRH Princess Margaret.

Vice Presidents

The Rt Hon The Lord Ashley of Stoke CH

Jack Ashley, the former Labour MP, commands enormous public respect for his vigorous campaigning for disabled rights and also, his personal with deafness. He was one of our founding trustees.

He became an MP in 1966 but two years later, at the age of 45, he lost his hearing after a routine ear operation. Nevertheless, he continued to serve as an MP until 1992 when he was made a life baron. 1993 saw him as one of the first people in the UK to have his hearing partially restored by a cochlea implant, an electronic device which stimulates the nerves in the inner ear.

Jack says: ‘The tremendous difficulties faced by young disabled people as they make their way in a highly competitive world are daunting. This makes the wonderful help and encouragement of Lord Snowdon’s award scheme all the more valuable. It provides practical assistance and new hope.’

The Rt Hon Baroness Masham of Ilton

Baroness Masham was one of the Snowdon Award Scheme’s first trustees and, in 2004 was made a Vice president.

In 1958, at the age of 23, she became disabled in a riding accident and subsequently became a champion for disability causes. She is still very actively involved, being chair of the Associate Parliamentary Health Group, a member of the All Party Disablement Committee, as well as being a crossbench member of the House of Lords, having joined the peerage in 1970.

The Rt Hon The Lord Morris of Manchester PC AO QSO

Lord Morris, aka Alf Morris, served as a MP for Manchester for 33 years until 1997 when he was elevated to the peerage as The Lord Morris of Manchester. He was a founding trustee and is now a Vice president as well as being deeply involved in parliamentary debates on disability issues.

In 1970 he piloted to the Statute Book the historic Chronically Sick & Disabled Persons Act and, in 1974, he became Britain’s (and the world’s) first Minister for Disabled People. In 1991 he drafted and promoted the landmark Civil Rights (Disabled Persons) Bill, making unfair discrimination against disabled people unlawful, which became the model for similar legislation across the world.

He is the only British citizen outside the Royal Household to have the Order of Australia (AO) and the Queen’s Service Order of New Zealand (QSO), both in recognition of his outstanding achievements on behalf of disabled people around the world.

Alf says: ‘I take pride in long association with The Snowdon Award Scheme. It has enabled thousands of young people with disabilities to triumph over daunting obstacles. Their achievements in further and higher education bear eloquent testimony to the humanity of Lord Snowdon’s vision and humanity in creating one of contemporary Britain’s foremost charities. Yet there is much more to do and the scheme richly deserves all the help everyone who supports its work can give.’

Trustee profiles

Stephen Bradshaw OBE

Stephen became a member of our selection panel in 1982 and has chaired the panel since 1987. He also became a trustee of the Scheme in 2001.

Previously executive director of the Spinal Injuries Association, he is now semi-retired. As he is tetraplegic, Stephen’s experience is particularly relevant for applicants with spinal injuries and other impairments involving mobility difficulties.

Robert J Edwards CBE

Bob Edwards was one of the Scheme's initial trustees in 1981, and still holds that title. Now retired and living the quiet life in Cornwall, Bob was previously one of Fleet Street’s most enduring and best known newspaper editors. He edited the Daily Express twice in the 1960s, subsequently becoming editor of The People and then the Sunday Mirror for a record 13 years.

Andrew Farquhar

Andrew was one of the first people involved in the Scheme. He helped Lord Snowdon set everything up in 1981, including legal arrangements and financial procedures. He went on to become our general secretary for over 20 years. We were delighted to retain his knowledge and expertise when he agreed to become a trustee following his retirement in 2005.

Sir John Hannam

Sir John has been a trustee since the start and has been Chairman of our board of trustees since 1997.

He is currently the only honorary freeman of Exeter, having been MP for Exeter for 27 years (1970-1997). Sir John is well known for his extremely hard work in the area of disability and, in his parliamentary days, was co chair of the All Party Disablement Group.

Peter Holland MSc FRSA

Peter has been involved with us since 1995 as a selection panel member, and was appointed a trustee in 2003.

He is also the Chief Executive of The Disability Partnership (incorporating the Prince of Wales’ Advisory Group on Disability). It develops initiatives to provide social inclusion of the disabled. Current initiatives include MOVE across Europe, Leadership programmes across the Civil Service and Health Education Programmes for medical and dental schools.

He has held senior positions with MENCAP, Action for Blind People and Barnados and has an unseen disability

Sidney L Hunt

Sidney is managing director of Southern Demolition Co Ltd and is a national council member of NFDC (National Federation of Demolition Contractors).

The NFDC has been a wonderful supporter of the Scheme for many years and, together with his father, Sidney has worked hard to develop and maintain the excellent relationship we have with them. He was appointed a trustee in 2004.

Anji Hunter

Anji is director of communications for BP. Before that, she was one of the Prime Minister’s closest advisers as Downing Street’s director of government relations.

Anji came into contact with the Scheme when arranging for Mr Blair to attend an event and always expressed a strong personal interest in our work. We were therefore delighted when, in 2004, she agreed to become a trustee.

Richard Lansdown PhD

Richard is an educational and clinical (child) psychologist who worked for more than 30 years at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute of Child Health. He has been a member of our selection panel since we started in 1981 and became a trustee in 2001. His skills are particularly appropriate for applicants with dyslexia, learning difficulties and autism.

Renny Leach DPhil

Renny has a strong personal interest and considerable expertise in many aspects of disability. He was previously director of research for Action Research and then for the Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond St Hospital. He is currently director of a number of healthcare companies, providing specialist support in the development of new medicines.

Renny became a trustee in 2001, bringing with him not only technical knowledge relating to disability, but also experience from involvement with several other charities.

David Linley

After many years studying and working with art and wood, David Linley Furniture Ltd, now LINLEY was set up. David has now written three books and has lectured around the world at prestigious venues, including the V&A Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY), the Smithsonian Institute (Washington), and the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston).

David lives in London with his wife Serena, son Charles and daughter Margarita and has been a trustee of the Scheme since 2001.

Dan Norris MP

Dan Norris has been Member of Parliament for Wansdyke since 1997 and was previously a teacher and child protection officer. He has written and lectured extensively on the prevention and reduction of violence, and is an honorary university fellow.

With his personal knowledge and experience in education and a strong interest in disability issues, Dan was appointed a trustee in 2004.

Caroline Spelman MP

Caroline has been a trustee since 1998 and has regularly hosted events for us in the House of Commons.

After a successful commercial career, she became an MP in 1997 and has been on the Conservative front bench since 1998. Particularly interested in social issues, Caroline is currently shadow secretary of state for communities and local government and until recently, was shadow minister for women. She is an incredibly busy working mum, with three teenage children.

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