AO World founder John Roberts makes another huge donation to charity

The founder of online electricals giant AO World has donated another £1.6million to charity as part of a crusade to boost services for young people.

Filings showed fridge magnate John Roberts this week transferred another chunk of shares he owns in the Bolton-based company to a charitable trust. It takes to over £11million the amount Mr Roberts has donated to charities in the past 14 years. Among the recipients is cash to fund more than a dozen disadvantaged children to go to private Bolton School, where he went.

Mr Roberts, who has long lobbied for better services for young people, has campaigned for a radical shake-up to direct much needing funding to cash-starved grass roots organisations.

Speaking to the last year, the straight-talking 51-year-old slammed “catastrophic cuts over the last 10 years, with nearly 1,000 youth clubs closed, 5,000 trained youth workers jettisoned and spending reduced by over 70%.” There were just under 2,600 youth clubs left in the UK by August last year.

Former kitchen salesman Mr Roberts has amassed a fortune since starting AO as a bet in a pub. His holding in AO World is worth just over £100million at its current share price.

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