Lord Ashcroft - Chairman of Trustees

Lord Ashcroft, KCMG, is an international businessman, author and philanthropist. He has many, varied business interests with significant investments and participation in both public and private companies in the United Kingdom, United States and the Caribbean.

He was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party in the UK from December
2005 to September 2010 and in May 2011 he was appointed as a defence adviser to the Coalition Government. He is also Treasurer of the International Democratic Union.

Alongside his business acumen, Lord Ashcroft also has numerous altruistic endeavours that focus on his areas of particular interest, notably crime prevention and education.

Lord Ashcroft is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Crimestoppers, the only UK charity dedicated to solving crimes, Vice Patron of the Intelligence Corps Museum, a Trustee of the Imperial War Museum Foundation Ltd, a Trustee and President of the West India Committee, Chairman of the Trustees of Ashcroft Technology Academy and Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University in the UK.  He is also a Trustee of the Cleveland Clinic in the US.

Lord Ashcroft has a life-long interest in bravery and gallantry medals. In 1986, he started collecting Victoria Cross medals (VCs), an interest which eventually led to the creation of largest collection of VCs in the world.

There are now more than 170 medals in the collection, which is estimated to be worth some £30 million. In the autumn of 2010, the collection went on public display for the first time at the Imperial War Museum (IWM) in London. The new Lord Ashcroft Gallery, paid for by a £5 million donation from the Conservative peer, also exhibits VCs and George Cross medals already belonging to the IWM.

Lord Ashcroft¹s books on gallantry have been widely acclaimed and led to him being invited to address the Cheltenham Literary Festival on the subject in 2008 and 2009.

Lord Ashcroft holds the largest collection of Victoria Cross medals in the world.

Lord Ashcroft has written six books:

• Smell The Coffee – A wake-up call for the Conservative Party
• Minority Verdict – The Conservative Party, the voters and the 2010 election
• Dirty politics Dirty times
• Victoria Cross Heroes
• Special Forces Heroes
• George Cross Heroes

For more information:

Lord Ashcroft's website

Victoria Cross Heroes

Special Forces Heroes

George Cross Heroes

The Lord Ashcroft Gallery