Jack Petchey

Sir Jack Petchey CBE is a British businessman and philanthropist.

He was born into a poor working class family in the East End in 1925. He left school with no qualifications when he was 13. Petchey joined the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm in 1943 during the Second World War and applied for officer training but was unsuccessful. On discharge from the Navy he began working as a clerk for the Solicitor’s Law Stationary Society, though when he applied for management training, he was told he would never make a businessman.

Jack refused to give up and investing his £39 discharge gratuity from the Navy, he bought his first second hand car and started a taxi business. He worked long and hard, overcoming adversity and going on to become a multi-millionaire through his various business ventures, which have spanned from motor car dealing and garages to property, travel and investment.

Petchey is a West Ham United supporter and was a director at the club from June 1978 until 1989. During his time at the club Petchey offered to finance a move away from the Boleyn Ground (aka Upton Park) to a new 45,000 capacity stadium at Crown Wharf in Canning Town. The club consulted the support who preferred not to move and so the club remained based where it was.

He sold his minority stake in West Ham to David Sullivan and David Gold in 1989 and by that time had become chairman of Watford F.C. having bought the club from singer Elton John in 1987. Petchey resold the club to John in 1997.

Jack Petchey Foundation

In 1999, Jack set up the Jack Petchey Foundation to support young people 11-25, raise their aspirations and enable them to play a full part in society. Since its inception, the Jack Petchey Foundation has invested over £90 million in a range of schools and youth organisations to achieve these aims.

What he ‘gives’ is greater than money though; the same entrepreneurial skills that he brought to his business have led to some really innovative schemes for young people.

Jack seeks to increase young people’s aspirations by rewarding their achievements and encouraging them to take pride in what they have done. He brings communities together to really celebrate and ensure that the young people have a moment of glory and that their parents/carers/ teachers and youth workers are there to witness it.

He focuses on the positives rather than highlighting the negatives. Yes, young people face problems and challenges, but Jack believes that if you focus on these you risk creating a negative spiral. Alternatively, if you reward success and help young people feel positive about themselves you can give them the confidence and aspiration to change, overcome adversity and live to their full potential.

The Jack Petchey Foundation's flagship programme is its Achievement Award scheme - a reward and recognition initiative which enables schools and youth organisations to celebrate the achievements of their young people as well as receive additional funding. Almost 2,000 schools, colleges and youth organisations across London and Essex run the scheme, which contributes millions of pounds each year. Among the organisations on the scheme are sports, music and performing arts clubs, uniformed and disability groups, and youth clubs.

The Foundation also celebrates Adult Leaders who support young people and has funding available for educational visits and for young volunteers to carry out projects both in the UK and abroad.

On top of the central grant giving programmes, the Jack Petchey Foundation runs a number of partnership programmes including the Jack Petchey Speak Out Challenge, Step into Dance, Panathlon, the London Schools Table Tennis Championships and the Anthony Nolan Register and Be a Lifesaver programme.

The Jack Petchey Foundation were also the central funding body of the Petchey Academy and the Petchey Centre for Entrepreneurship.

The Foundation also has a branch in Albufeira, Portugal, which does similar work to its British counterpart.

Jack Petchey was nominated as a Scouting In London Ambassador for the Scout Association Region for Greater London at an Adult Appreciation ceremony in 2008.

Honours

Petchey was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for charitable services. He was knighted in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to young people in East London and Essex through the Jack Petchey Foundation.

On 27 May 2010 He was Given the Freedom of the Borough of Newham.