Dame Vivien Duffield

Dame Vivien Duffield is the daughter of Sir Charles Clore, one of Britain’s most successful post-war businessmen and one of the most generous philanthropists of his day. Continuing this tradition, Dame Vivien grew up with a firm belief in supporting charitable endeavours. After Sir Charles’ death in 1979, she assumed the chairmanship of the Clore Foundations in Israel and in the UK.

In Israel, she served as deputy chairperson of the Board of the Weizmann Institute of Science. She is an Honorary Fellow of the City of Jerusalem and recipient of the Jerusalem Foundation’s Teddy Prize. Dame Vivien has also been awarded an honorary PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science and a PhD Honoris Causa from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

In the UK, Dame Vivien is closely associated with a number of charities. Since the early 1980s, Dame Vivien has served on various appeal committees and development boards for the NSPCC, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal Marsden and was a trustee of Dulwich Picture Gallery from 1993 to 2002.

She is a member of the board of the Royal Opera House and is currently chairperson of the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund.

Dame Vivien became a director of the South Bank Centre Board in 2002 and is a governor of the Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet School. In addition to the chairmanship of her Foundations, Dame Vivien is also founder and life patron of Eureka!, The National Children’s Museum in Halifax and was chair of the Oxford University Development Campaign from 2007-2010. Her charitable work in the UK was acknowledged with the award of a CBE in 1989 and DBE in 2000. In November 2008, HRH The Prince of Wales presented Dame Vivien with one of the first five Medals for Arts Philanthropy. The medal celebrates individuals who support the arts and recognises the contribution of the most inspiring philanthropists in the UK. Dame Vivien initiated the Jewish Community Centre in London – JW3 – and has been a major contributor to the building, which opened in September 2013.