IRISH businessman John Nugent has been named philanthropist of the year at a prestigious charity event.
The Dubliner, who is founder and CEO at the hospitality brand Green & Fortune, was honoured at the Vision Ireland Awards.
Held at the Tower of London, the annual awards ceremony and dinner celebrates those who support the charity and other third sector organisations.
Well-known in London’s hospitality industry for his charity and community commitments, Nugent has raising funds for both hospitality and Irish charities as well as supporting initiatives in his local area.
His Green & Fortune annual St. Patrick’s Day lunch has now raised nearly £190,000 for charities such as the London Irish Centre, Hospitality Action and The Clink.
John Nugent has been named the Vision Ireland UK Philanthropist of the YearDuring the 2020 Covid lockdown Nugent initiated a partnership with the Copenhagen Street Foodbank, since then, Green & Fortune have donated over 13,000 meals.
The businessman, who started his hospitality career in London in 1989 and launched Green & Fortune in 2008, was a founding director of the Kings Cross Business Partnership.
He has also worked with the developers of Kings Cross, Argent and Islington Council on employment initiatives to provide support and opportunities to get local people into well-paid and meaningful employment.
Receiving his award, he said: “A huge thank you to Vision Ireland for considering me for this award.
“I arrived in London almost 35 years ago from Dublin, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that after all these years I would be recognised in this manner.”
He added: “Recognition like this only happens because of other people, people who I have worked with in charities, schools and non-profit organisations, the great people within Green & Fortune, and also family and friends who end up being inadvertently pulled in to support and live with fundraising activities and charitable endeavours.
“I am hugely humbled by this recognition and thank all the people involved with Vision Ireland for this very generous gesture.”
