Bill Leeson

William "Bill" Edward Gregory-Leeson^[1] (born 13 October 1943 in Salford) is an English filmmaker who was one of the founders of the charity War Child, which particularly focuses on help for children in war situations.

In 1993, Leeson and David Wilson produced a documentary film featuring the most tragic victims of the war in former Yugoslavia: the children. What they saw so deeply shocked them that they established War Child, which today is a network of independent NGOs operating across the world to help children affected by war.

In early 1999, Leeson stepped down as CEO as a result of a disagreement about whether the charity should have accepted funds from a Bosnian contractor some years earlier. Later that year, Leeson left War Child due to unreconcilable differences with the trustee board of that time, many of whom resigned shortly thereafter. Leeson and the current War Child management and board enjoy a good relationship, with Leesoninvited to advise War Child and attend its 15th anniversary celebrations for the Help CD in 2010.

Today Leeson is one of the founders and directors of GardenAfrica; a charitable organization set up in 2002 to support African families through a range of garden-related initiatives. The project seeks to transform derelict land adjacent to schools, hospitals, and clinics in African communities to help provide food security, health and nutrition, education and training, and sustainable livelihoods.

GardenAfrica projects promote practical solutions emphasising the importance of integrating traditional systems of land management and food production as a means of addressing vulnerability and stimulating localised economic development. GardenAfrica projects promote the appropriate use of plants relevant to community needs, be it for food, medicine, craft and/or building materials — with the most sustainable use of available resources, as a community-driven approach.

External links

• GardenAfrica
• Do-Gooders Need Not Apply — Bill Leeson, the outspoken co-founder of one of Great Britain's most high-profile charities, believes that you can do good works without being a do-gooder: "I am a deal maker. I make deals to get my story out."
• Man of the Year 2000 Award — The MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD is presented to men who through their extraordinary achievements have contributed to a better world. The film makers Bill Leeson and David Wilson have, with War Child, created a platform to aid the most innocent victims of war.
• Launch party for UK charity GardenAfrica — The original Pleasure Gardens at Highgate's Lauderdale House was brought to life as a launch party for UK charity GardenAfrica.
• BBC report on corruption scandal
• Guardian report on corruption scandal
• War Child response to Guardian report on corruption scandal

References