Sir Alec Reed, knighted for services to business and charity, including founding Big Give, has died peacefully at the age of 91.
He died yesterday and his death was announced this morning by The Reed Group. As his son James Reed commented: “It seems entirely appropriate that Sir Alec died on Giving Tuesday”.
Sir Alec built one of the UK’s largest and most successful private businesses. He opened the first Reed office in 1960 with £75 and saw it grow into a market-leading recruitment business with an annual turnover of over £1 billion and nearly 4,500 employees, known as co-members.
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Philanthropist and charity founder
He founded match fund charity Big Give, which has grown to become the largest fundraising campaign in the UK, raising £44.7 million in one week last Christmas, overtaking better-known initiatives such as Children in Need and Comic Relief. This year’s Big Give Christmas Campaign is running right now throughout this week.
Sir Alec had continued to play an active role in the company as “Founder at Large”, a position he took in 2004 after stepping down as chairman.
James Reed, Sir Alec’s son and Reed’s chairman and CEO, said:
“It is with great sadness that we share the news that our company’s founder and my beloved father has died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family. In his final days, he told me he had been lucky, had a good life, and was ready to go.
“Sir Alec was an extraordinary man: my boss, colleague, mentor and teacher but, above all, my Dad. His passing leaves a huge void and I will miss him terribly.
“Sir Alec brought energy, ideas, and humour to everything he did. He founded several companies, seven charities and two schools, while remaining devoted to his family. Married to my mother Adrianne for 64 years, he was a much-loved father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
“From opening the first Reed office in Hounslow in 1960 with £75 to working tirelessly for 65 years, he never stopped innovating. His vision lives on through our company and the charities he founded.
“It seems entirely appropriate that Sir Alec died on Giving Tuesday, and if you would like to support his legacy you can make a contribution to this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, which runs until December 9th and he hoped would be another record-breaking appeal.”
Sir Alec founded the Reed Foundation in 1972. It owns 18% of the Reed Group, ensuring that co-members effectively work one day a week for charity, and has given away over £40 million to various charities, primarily as seed funding.
He also founded Womankind and Ethiopiaid. Over the last 30 years the latter has contributed over £36 million to projects in Africa.
He was awarded the Beacon Prize in 2010 for his “longstanding work in supporting hundreds of charities”.
“I have founded seven charities in all and been actively involved in another four. Encouraging philanthropy is my main mission now; but without entrepreneurialism to make the money there would be no philanthropy”.
Sir Alec Reed
Philanthropy, business and academia
Born in Hounslow in 1934, Sir Alec left school at 16 but went on to receive three doctorates and was three times a professor.
Beyond business and family, Sir Alec was a farmer and a teacher. He loved horses and dogs and was an enthusiastic tennis player, accomplished painter and bridge player.
On receiving his knighthood he said: “Without business there would be no charity, and without charity what’s the point of business?”
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.
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