24th August, 2007
AMREF would like to pay tribute to Lord Deedes who died last week at the age of 94.
Bill Deedes, as he modestly preferred to be known, was a member of AMREF UK’s Advisory Council until his death and was formerly a board member.
Former director of AMREF UK Alexander Héroys said: “His commitment and wisdom as a board member was very much appreciated and his knowledge of the media on the Advisory Council was enormously helpful.”
A distinguished journalist, he was still writing for The Daily Telegraph up until the time he died, having been editor of the paper between 1974 – 1986. He also had a distinguished political career as an MP and Cabinet Minister during the 1950s and 60s.
His tireless energy and commitment to aid programmes led to him travelling as a reporter in his 70s and 80s throughout the developing world and reporting with great empathy on what he saw. Indeed, he was named British journalist of the year at the age of 84.
Bill Deedes joined the AMREF UK Board after seeing AMREF’s work in Africa and meeting Lady Wood (wife of AMREF’s founder Sir Michael Wood) and Dr Anne Spoerry (one of the original ’Flying Doctors’). He was especially supportive of the work of the Flying Doctors, as well as AMREF’s educational and training programmes throughout East and southern Africa. He frequently commented upon AMREF’s work in his regular weekly column in the Telegraph.
As a result of his wide political and social connections, Bill Deedes was often able to help with significant fundraising activities for AMREF. He was instrumental in introducing AMREF to the organising committee of The Daily Telegraph Christmas Appeal and wrote most of the articles for the appeal from his first hand experience gained on trips to the field.
Bill Deedes also lent his name to a number of AMREF appeals, signed them individually and wrote thank you letters by hand.
AMREF is enormously grateful to have benefited from the Lord Deedes of Aldington Charitable Trust, set up in 1997. The money was used to support media visits, enabling journalists to report on AMREF’s work in Africa.
His last column published a few weeks before he died covering the situation in Darfur, showing how close to his heart Africa had become.
Lord Deedes’ family has asked that anyone wishing to make a donation to the Trust can send cheques made payable to
The Lord Deedes of Aldington Charitable Trust,
c/o The Daily Telegraph,
111 Buckingham Palace Road,
London SW1W 0DT
or to
Anne Colman
Chairman of the Lord Deedes of Aldington Charitable Trust
Gate House Farm
Fairman's Lane
Brenchley
Kent TN12 7AD.