Alan Higgs

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Alan Edward Higgs was a businessman who became a multimillionaire mainly from his house building business in Coventry, as well as from other businesses in Birmingham, England. [1] He died in 1979, and because he thought that inherited wealth did more harm than good, he made provision for a charity to be created after his death to help deprived children from Coventry and nearby localities. [2]

Alan Edward Higgs Charity

The Alan Edward Higgs Charity (sometimes incorrectly called the Alan Higgs Trust) benefited from Higgs's entire estate of approximately £26 million. [3] It was set up specifically to help deprived children from Coventry and within 25 miles of Coventry. Higgs's son Derek Higgs, who was knighted in 2004, and his daughter became the trustees. [1] [4]

The charity has given millions of pounds to good causes over the years. [1] It gave the money to build The Alan Higgs Centre, a leisure centre in southeast Coventry, [5] and partly owned the Ricoh Arena.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "The MT interview by Matthew Lynn: Derek Higgs". Management Today. 1 November 2002. Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
  2. "Sir Derek Higgs: Doctor of Laws". University of Bristol. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
  3. "Sir Derek Higgs". The Times . London. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 24 May 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  4. Treanor, Jill (29 April 2008). "Sir Derek Higgs dies suddenly aged 64". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  5. "The Alan Higgs Centre". RHWL architects. Archived from the original on 5 January 2008. Retrieved 20 October 2007.