Simon Weston - Charity Work

Charity Work

In 1986 Simon Weston undertook his first goodwill tour, to Australia, at the request of the Guards Association of Australasia. The resulting donations to children's burns units made him begin to feel useful again.

Weston became patron of a number of charities that support people living with disfigurements, as well as the lead ambassador for The Healing Foundation. He also set up a national youth charity, Weston Spirit, in 1988 with Paul Oginsky and Ben Harrison, shortly after moving to Liverpool. However in 2008, the charity suffered from financial difficulties and had to be shut down.

Weston's courage and charity work have been recognised and honoured a number of times. In 1992 he was awarded an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. In 2002 he was awarded the Freedom of the City of Liverpool. In 2004, he was named one of the top 100 Welsh heroes. In 2005 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University. In 2006 Weston and dual code (Rugby League and Rugby Union) international David Watkins were installed as patrons of the Wales Rugby League, in a ceremony held in the Welsh Assembly.

In 2008 Weston accepted an invitation to become Patron of The John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation.

In September 2009 Weston agreed to be President Elect of the Welsh Scout Council and was formally introduced at the Council's annual general meeting at Llandrindod Wells on 31 October 2009.