Sir Peter Vardy’s charity plea: ‘Match my £500k to change lives’
Sir Peter Vardy has made the commitment to the North East Autism Society (NEAS), describing its plans for New Warlands Farm as “inspirational and life-changing”.
Now, the philanthropist is calling for his £500,000 contribution to be matched by donations from other businesses, urging them to “be part of something very special”.
Generously offering to match fund each donation NEAS receives towards its campaign total, it means that if a company donates £1,000, The Vardy Foundation will donate £1,000, with NEAS receiving £2,000 in total towards the appeal.
“The North East Autism Society is a wonderful charity, run by a wonderful team, and this is going to transform thousands of vulnerable lives, so please join me and get on board,” said the chairman of The Vardy Foundation.
The charity today launches its corporate appeal for the £4.4m farm development, which will serve as a training centre for autistic and neurodivergent people as well as a visitor attraction and working farm. Work on the development is expected to start next month and will, hopefully, be completed by the end of 2025.
A painting called ‘Love Picker’ has been donated by Mackenzie Thorpe to be the symbol of the farm and the ‘Growing Futures’ campaign, and the internationally famous North East artist, who is a NEAS patron, will be helping to create designs for the farm buildings.
(Image: North East Autism Society) “This is one of the most exciting projects I’ve ever been part of, and I’m going to put as much love into it as possible,” said Mackenzie, who is famous for his distinctive love-themed works of art.
The appeal will feature an artistic element, with supporters able to buy hearts that will create a “wall of hearts” at the farm, with further details to be unveiled during World Autism Acceptance Week in April.
Mackenzie Thorpe with a painting called ‘Welcome To My World’ that was painted for the North East Autism Society (Image: North East Autism Society) The development, near Burnhope, will include a farm shop, restaurant, cider press, and retail craft outlets.
Training and work experience will be provided in hospitality and retail, with advanced talks around partnerships taking place with leading North East businesses.
The plans also include rare-breed animals and a petting zoo. An experienced farmer, Dave Wilde, has been employed to manage the farm and lead on the training of autistic and neurodivergent people in traditional horticulture and animal husbandry skills.
(Image: North East Autism Society) The aim is to develop skills, experience and confidence, leading to jobs at the farm site and in wider society, with the appeal coming at a time when just 30 per cent of autistic people are employed in the UK.
Sir Peter, who was born in Houghton-le-Spring, took control of the family’s Ford car dealership in 1976, and expanded the business from one dealership to a group of more than 100 dealerships with more than 6,000 staff.
He is now chairman of The Vardy Group of Companies, comprising the Vardy Property Group, and a new motor group established in Scotland.
The Vardy Foundation was established as a charity in 1989, and has supported a wide range of educational, rehabilitation and community causes in the UK and abroad. Sir Peter and his wife, Lady Margaret Vardy, have received the Beacon Award for Philanthropy for Impact and Dedication.
He said: “This plan is so innovative, and I have no doubt it will become an outstanding facility, enabling autistic people to develop their skills, and that is so important.
“I’m happy to donate £500,000 from The Vardy Foundation if matched because I believe passionately in what NEAS is doing, and I’m appealing to other businesses to support the project because it is so special.
“Autistic people bring fantastic skills and qualities that can be an asset to companies, and this will help them realise their potential, so let’s make it happen here in the North East, and raise enough money to ensure it’s free of debt.”
Sir Peter’s charitable projects include the Safe Families For Children programme, which he brought to the UK in 2012 after it had been developed in America. It offers practical support to families in need and now has 6,000 UK volunteers.
He got to know John Phillipson, Chief Executive of the North East Autism Society, when he joined the Safe Families For Children board.
“I’ve come to know John as an exceptional leader, who has become a national authority on the care of autistic people, and the North East Autism Society is a flagship organisation in its field,” said Sir Peter.
“I admire and trust the work John and his team do, and I want to support them in making this wonderful, life-changing project come to fruition.”
Mr Phillipson said: “Sir Peter Vardy is a business leader and philanthropist who is respected nationally and internationally for making a massive impact on the lives of vulnerable people.
NEAS CEO John Phillipson (Image: North East Autism Society) “Growing Futures is about tackling the disappointingly low employment rates among autistic and neurodivergent people in the UK. As Sir Peter says, they have great skills and qualities that can be an asset to businesses, and our aim is to tap into that huge potential.
“It means so much to have such amazing support from someone of Sir Peter’s calibre. We thank him for his generosity, and leadership, and look forward to talking to other businesses about the ways they can make the New Warlands farm dream a reality.”
Sir Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Social Security and Disability, visited the farm recently and said: “There are far too many barriers to work in the way of people with disabilities and health problems. We need those barriers to be dismantled through innovative opportunities like those being provided by the North East Autism Society.”