Jean Oglesby CBE

JEAN OGLESBY

Jean Oglesby was born in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire in 1939 and moved to Manchester on 1 January 1972. She has been married to Michael for 52 years and they have two children, Chris and Kate, who both work in the family business.  She has five grandchildren.

Her charitable work started in 1964 when she got married, as her mother-in-law asked her to join her and her friends working on a cancer research committee. Jean, also, along with her newly married young friends, started a local committee in Scunthorpe for "Save the Children” .

After she had moved to Manchester, Jean became involved with the Christie’s £25 million appeal and in 1996 helped to form the Altrincham and Sale Committee, which still exists today, and was it’s first Chairman.

In 2000 Michael and Jean started the Oglesby Charitable Trust and Jean administered this until September 2015. The Oglesby Charitable Trust has grown from a relatively modest beginning to be one of the largest and most active grant giving charities in the North West. It gives over £2 million per annum and at any one time will have in excess of 50 separate relationships with charities.

As a result of this work, Jean, along with her husband Michael, received The Prince of Wales Medal for Arts Philanthropy in November 2011. She was made an Honorary Member of the Royal Northern College of Music in December 2014.

Also, along with Michael, she was inaugurated into the Langworthy Circle of Philanthropists at Manchester University in March 2015. She was made a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list 2016 for services to Philanthropy in the North West.

Jean joined the Board of the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2008, having supported the theatre since it opened and passionately believes that the arts should play a central role in the life of a city and it’s people.

Her hobbies are, gardening, theatre, music, walking, entertaining friends and spending time with her grandchildren.