We are delighted that Jon Snow has agreed to become a patron of ACE.

He is best known as the presenter of Britain's award-winning Channel 4 News. He has also hosted a wide range of discussion programmes and a number of high-profile documentaries for Channel 4, the most recent being War on Terror Trial, Bloody Sunday Debate, Snow in Japan, The E-millionaire Show and Secrets of the Honours System.

He was presented with the prestigious Richard Dimbleby Award for his outstanding contribution to the world of news and current affairs at the 2005 BAFTA Television Awards, and he was named Journalist of the Year at the 2005 Royal Television Society TV Journalism Awards.

He has a longstanding affinity with Uganda, beginning with a spell there as a teacher when he was 18.

A recent article in The Independent newspaper included -

Snow was also instrumental in C4 News's decision to base last year's coverage on the G8 summit not at Gleneagles, where it was taking place, but in Africa, subject of much of the discussions. Snow, whose political views were shaped as an 18-year-old teacher with VSO in Uganda, after which he was rusticated from the University of Liverpool for his involvement in anti-apartheid protests, says he was intrigued to know whether anyone in Africa knew that Gleneagles was going on. "Had they heard of Bob Geldof?"

At Snow's behest, the programme was broadcast from Namasagali, the Ugandan village on the banks of the Nile where he had taught almost 40 years earlier, and where depopulation and malaria had become rampant. "You never found anybody who had heard anything about the G8 and certainly nobody knew anything about Live Aid or Bob Geldof."

If you want to read the whole article click here.

In his letter of acceptance Jon wrote -

"Because I don't come from Cornwall, and stand little chance of getting down to meet the volunteers, I was tempted to say no to your flattering request for me to become a patron of ACE. But then when I think about the primary schools in Uganda, the need is so great that I'd really like to do anything to assist your work, so I am delighted to say yes but fully recognising that I am not able to do much practically to help."

ACE is delighted to have such a distinguished supporter.