Charity runs in my family says earl behind 10K race

1/2
12 April 2012

The 12th Earl of Shaftesbury told today how he took inspiration from his philanthropic ancestor to launch a charity venture.

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 31, who took over the family estate following the murder of his father, said he hoped to follow in the footsteps of great-great-great grandfather Anthony Ashley-Cooper - after whom Shaftesbury Avenue is named.

The earl is opening the grounds of his stately home at Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, to the public for the first time in decades after refurbishment. The first phase of renovation will be celebrated by two charity runs there.

Speaking under Eros in Piccadilly Circus - the Shaftesbury Monument Memorial Fountain, erected in 1893 - he said: "Eros commemorates the Seventh Earl of Shaftesbury, one of the great social reformers in the Victorian period.

"He was a remarkable individual and has been a huge inspiration for the family. There's a tradition of philanthropy in the family that stretches to the Seventh Earl and it's important to continue that legacy. If I can follow in his footsteps it's a good thing." The Great Shaftesbury Run, featuring a 10km race and a half-marathon, will be held at the Shaftesbury Estate on June 12. The earl said: "We're lucky to live in an area of outstanding natural beauty and that would make a perfect setting.

"We're embarking on a restoration of the house and park. The plan is to bring in events that will share the estate with the public and generate some income that will safeguard it and the park."

The earl has been running the estate since 2005, when his 66-year-old father Anthony was found dead in a remote ravine in the Alps. Anthony's third wife, former nightclub hostess Jamila M'Barek, and her brother Mohammed were jailed after being found guilty of murder. Nicholas's elder brother Anthony died of a heart attack aged 27, only months after their father.

According to the Sunday Times list of the 100 Richest Young People, published two years ago, the earl inherited assets of about £13 million, as well as the 9,000-acre estate. He lives there with his wife Dr Dinah Streifeneder and their son Anthony Francis, born this year, after moving back from New York, where he was a highly regarded DJ. He said he had "hung up my headphones" to focus on the estate.

The earl also told how breaking his back in a riding accident in 2009 changed his life: "I am very, very fortunate and it was almost a blessing - to realise how lucky you are to have such basic things like mobility. It's had a very positive effect."

The Great Shaftesbury Run is supporting spinal injuries charity Wings for Life; The Philip Green Memorial School in Wimborne, which teaches children with learning difficulties; and Victoria Education Centre and Sports College for disabled young people, in Poole.

For more information visit shaftesburyestates.com/shaftesbury-run

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in