The first five medals for Arts Philanthropy have been awarded by HRH The Prince of Wales.

The medal celebrates individuals who support the arts and recognises the contribution of the most inspiring philanthropists in the UK. The first five honourees are:

• Dame Vivien Duffield CBE
• Roger de Haan CBE
• Dr Carol Høgel CBE
• Martin and Carmel Naughton
• Lord and Lady Sainsbury

Launched by Arts & Business, the medals were presented by HRH The Prince of Wales, President of Arts & Business, on 27th November. Arts & Business helps business people support the arts and the arts inspire business people, and is a member of The Prince’s Charities.

The first five honourees were chosen after an open nomination and extensive decision-making process. The Prince of Wales’ Arts Advisory Group drew up a short list of 20 philanthropists and a final judging panel of artists chose the first five honourees.  The judging panel included Joanna Lumley (actress), Dame Monica Mason (Director of The Royal Ballet) and Christopher Le Brun (Artist).

Welcoming the announcement, Culture Minister Barbara Follett said: "The arts in this country greatly depend upon the generous support of philanthropists. They deserve our profound thanks. Those being honoured today have each made an outstanding contribution to our cultural heritage, and to society as a whole. I congratulate them and thank the Prince of Wales for his support for the arts and encouragement of philanthropy through this new medal."

Dame Vivien Duffield DBE assumed chairmanship of the then Clore Foundation following the death of her father in 1979, merging it with her own in 2000. The Clore Duffield Foundation provides a leadership programme to strengthen the steerage of UK culture, offering fellowships and short courses for leaders and training for board members.  Beneficiaries include the Tate Modern, the British Museum and the National History Museum. Dame Vivien is also a significant fundraiser; she co-chaired the campaign for the refurbishment of the Royal Festival Hall and in partnership with Lord Sainsbury, raised some £100m for the new Royal Opera House. Dame Vivien writes about her philanthropic journey in the December 2008 issue of the Philanthropy UK Newsletter. 

Roger de Haan CBE sold the Saga Group, best known for offering holidays to the over-fifties, to enable him to focus on regenerating his hometown of Folkestone in Kent. He has focused on the power of culture and the arts to breathe new life into the ailing town.

Dr Carol Høgel CBE, an American concert pianist, is one of Scotland’s most generous and artistically informed philanthropists.  Her charitable foundation, the Dunard Fund, is one of the few key trusts supporting the arts in Scotland. It has provided vital support for, among others, the Edinburgh International Festival, Scottish Opera, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the National Galleries of Scotland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Martin and Carmel Naughton are not well known outside Northern Ireland, but in a country where the notion of arts philanthropy is still in its infancy, they are trailblazers and pioneers. Last year, the Naughtons made what is considered to be the largest-ever gift to a Northern Irish arts institution, donating £1m to the Lyric, Northern Ireland’s only full-time producing theatre.

Lord and Lady Sainsbury (John, Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover KG, and his wife Anya, Lady Sainsbury, CBE) through the Linbury Trust, have provided grants to arts organisations totalling more than £22m in the last decade. It is not just money they give – they are beacons of philanthropy in its widest sense. Recipients include the Tate Gallery, the Ashmolean Museum, the National Gallery, the Rambert Ballet School, and the Linbury Studio theatre at the Royal Opera House to name but a few.