Who is Jack Petchey?

Sir Jack is an incredible inspiration to everyone who works at the Foundation. Even at 98 he takes an active interest in the running of the charity, as do the rest of his family who share his vision.

He was born into a working class family in the East End in 1925, left school at 13 and then joined the Navy in 1943. After leaving the Navy, he began working as a clerk for a solicitor’s firm. He applied for management training but was told he would never make a businessman.

Instead of giving up, Sir Jack used the £39 he was given from the Navy to buy a second hand car and started a taxi business. Through hard work and innovative thinking, he proved them wrong and built a multi-million-pound empire.

Sir Jack’s experiences led to his passion to increase young peoples’ aspirations by rewarding their achievements.

In 2016, Sir Jack received his knighthood in recognition of his many years of charitable work.

If you would like to find out more about Sir Jack, order his autobiography ‘The 50/50 Man’, which is also available as a free PDF.

Celebrating young people is at the heart of the Jack Petchey Foundation’s mission. Each year the foundation recognises 12,000 inspirational young achievers and host up to 90 Achievement Award events across London and Essex. These events include VIP guests, young performers showcasing their talents on stage, and young people being celebrated for their incredible achievements.