Latest news with #CarnegieMedalofPhilanthropy
The Herald Scotland
23-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Carnegie fortune to help pay for new Edinburgh concert hall
The grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York was announced as it was predicted that the 1000-seater venue, which is expected to cost at least £115 million to create, will generate £170m for the economy in its first 20 years. Read more: The venue, which is expected create more than 300 jobs, is already being ked to the tune at at least £35 million by the Dunard Fund, a charity set up by American philanthropist Carol Colburn Grigor. The new backing has been confirmed weeks after Ms Grigor, one of the biggest private financial backers of Scottish culture in modern times, was awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy. Previous winners of the honour, which is award on behalf of Carnegie trusts and foundations around the world, including Dolly Parton, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates and the Scottish businessman Sir Tom Hunter. Born in Dunfermline in 1835, Andrew Carnegie emigrated to Pennsylvania with his family at the age of 12, built a multi-million dollar business empire in the steel industry and was one of the world's richest men by the end of the century. However he famously gave away most of his fortune via trusts and institutions set up in his name, including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, which he established in 1911 and is now led by a former principal of St Andrews University, Louise Richardson. The Dunard Centre, which has attracted more than £80 million in private donations to date, is also being supported by the Scottish and UK governments, and Edinburgh City Council, who are contributing £25m in total. Dunard Centre chief executive Jo Buckley said: 'We are hugely grateful for this grant, which recognises both the global significance of the Dunard Centre and the role it will play in enriching the lives of local people, by giving them greater access to the arts. "The money will help us develop and advance our engagement strategy, which is a vital element of our mission to create a 'hall for all' here in Edinburgh. 'With a focus on supporting civic participation and socioeconomic mobility, we intend to build trusted relationships, design thoughtful creative engagement programmes, and establish the team that will bring this work to life when we open our doors in 2029. 'We look forward to the opportunity of exploring and sharing the parallels between the transformational philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie – and the mark this left upon the world – and the various ways civic society benefits from the provision of outstanding performance and lifelong engagement with music.'
Leader Live
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Sir Lenny Henry and Richard Curtis ‘honoured' to accept philanthropy award
Comedian and actor Sir Lenny, 66, who was recently in Prime Video series The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, and Love Actually director Curtis, 68, co-founded Comic Relief in 1985. On Wednesday, the charity was awarded a Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, described by some as the 'Nobel Prize for philanthropy', which recognises those who use their private wealth for public good. Accepting the catalyst award at the event in Edinburgh, Curtis said: 'Both Lenny and I are deeply honoured to accept the Carnegie Catalyst Award on behalf of Comic Relief. 'When we began our journey back in 1985, our primary goal was to be exactly that – a catalyst for charitable efforts across the UK and beyond. 'We didn't set out to be personally recognised, we intended to make change and encourage others to do the same. 'We're proud that, over the last 40 years, funds raised by Comic Relief have supported some of the most vital services and organisations across the UK and internationally, and to be recognised as a philanthropic catalyst by the Carnegie institution is a major accolade for us. 'It means a lot to us to accept this award for our efforts in driving a culture of charitable change – for me the award is an acknowledgement of the kindness and generosity of every single person who has, in some way or another, been involved with Comic Relief over the years – and the value of every single pound that has been donated.' Co-founders Sir Lenny and Curtis accepted the award and a 50,000 dollars (£37,437) grant on the organisation's behalf. The aim of Comic Relief was to put the fun into fundraising, but they did not host the first Red Nose Day until 1988 – with 20 million people taking part and raising nearly £16 million for charity. Later the event became annual, and has seen memorable moments such as Sir Elton John and singer Robbie Williams making a cameo appearance in a special edition of sketch comedy Little Britain, and former prime minister Sir Tony Blair meeting a Catherine Tate sketch comedy character in Downing Street. Last year, Sir Lenny had his final time co-hosting the star-studded annual appeal programme, after almost four decades at the helm, and was appointed the charity's honorary life president. Professor Dame Louise Richardson, president of Carnegie Corporation of New York, said: 'It has been an inspiration to gather in Andrew Carnegie's native Scotland to celebrate this year's medallists and Catalyst Award recipients. 'The honourees are exemplars of philanthropy that, in the words of Carnegie, help 'bend the universal tree of humanity a little in the direction most favourable to the production of good fruit'.' The 2025 ceremony was hosted collaboratively by the three UK-based Carnegie institutions: Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, Carnegie UK, and The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. Other 2025 Carnegie honourees include US philanthropist Carol Colburn Grigor, who founded Scotland arts charity the Dunard Fund UK – which has supported the Edinburgh International Festival, of which the former pianist became an honorary vice president in 2013. Grigor's support for arts and cultural causes includes the US, Australia, Ireland, and the UK and organisations such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Edinburgh International Festival. Another recipients is American businessman Joe Neubauer and his wife the Metropolitan Opera vice president Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer, who have funded US research centres and colleges as well as the Holocaust Museum, along with husband wife team Barbara and Amos Hostetter. The Barr Foundation has granted more than 1.5 billion US dollars to the arts, climate, and education causes since 1997.
