Joffe Trust boosts Wiltshire charities

A LEGACY from celebrated philanthropist Lord Joffe’s charitable trust will continue the good work in Swindon and Wiltshire that he spent so much of his later life championing.

Lord Joffe, known simply as Joel to the many groups he supported in the county, died aged 85 in June 2017.

He left £16,500 to the Wiltshire Community Foundation, which he founded in 1975, via his charitable Joffe Trust. Included in that bequest was £2,500 to be given to community radio station Swindon 105.5, a cause that was close to his heart.

Lord Joffe came to Britain from South Africa in 1965 after making his name as a lawyer there defending Nelson Mandela in the Rivonia Trial of 1963 in which the ANC leader and colleagues faced the death penalty after being accused of plotting to overthrow the apartheid government. His defence got the sentence reduced to life imprisonment.

He moved to Liddington, near Swindon, and worked for Allied Dunbar, eventually launching its charitable trust. He became part of the fabric of Swindon’s community.

Station manager Shirley Ludford said news of the bequest came as a pleasant surprise. “We were absolutely chuffed when he found out about it,” she said.

“I have known him since I was at Swindon Viewpoint the old cable TV station in the town. I later invited Joel to become a patron of the radio station when we launched and he said yes immediately. He was a very, very respected gentleman, his involvement gave us credibility and helped us to get established. He was very interested in what we did.”

He not only helped the station with his profile but he also donated money to it via his charitable trust. He maintained his interest in the station right up until his death and also appeared on air on more than on occasion. “We had an interview with him talking about his life and his time with Nelson Mandela, it was a very powerful programme,” said Shirley.

He also took part in the station’s community day, which has, since his death, been renamed the Joel Joffe Community Celebration Day. His name also lives on at the station in one of its studios, which has been named after him.

His wife Vanetta visited to open it. “He was a tremendous help and a good friend to the station,” said Shirley. “He could also challenge you in a very nice way that made you think about what you were doing.

“We will use this money so that we can concentrate on helping young people through the projects we run here.”

The Joffe Trust was founded by Lord Joffe and his wife in 1968 to support development in the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Trust manager Carin Lake said Lord Joffe had a portion of the trust’s income set aside to allow him to make donations to charitable causes he personally felt strongly about.

“He had a great belief in Swindon,” she said. “After he died his wife Vanetta and daughter Deborah, who are trustees, agreed the last of the money set aside for his donations could go to the local causes he supported.”

In 1975 he founded the Thamesdown Community Trust, which eventually became the Wiltshire Community Foundation. The money left to the foundation is being spent on grants to groups in Swindon.

Chief executive Rosemary Macdonald said: “He never forgot about the people he helped , he always stayed in touch and was always very interested in what we achieved. We never expected to get any more money from him after he died it was such an honour to be invited to speak at his memorial service in Swindon.

“It is marvellous that his money will go on helping people after his death, he was a wonderful supporter of all we did and he is missed.”