People & Lifestyle story, June 2005
| FOUNDER HONOURED
An OBE for Tony Kilmister As appeared in the Harrow Times
By: Andrea Kon |
Prostate Research Campaign’s founder Tony Kilmister has been awarded the OBE for his services to Health. The 73-year old retired Chief Executive of the Parkinson’s Society received his honour from Her Majesty the Queen at an investiture at Buckingham Palace on June 22nd, accompanied by his wife Sheila, brother Christopher and nephew, also Christopher. The citation also mentions his work for the Prayer Book Society. Mr. Kilmister is Honorary Secretary of the Parochial Church Council at St Peter’s Church, Bushey Heath.
The son of a Swansea GP, Mr. Kilmister, founded Prostate Research Campaign UK to raise money for research into diseases of the prostate, after several of his friends suffered from prostate disease. He is now its President.
He explains: "I retired from my work as Chief Executive of the Parkinson’s Society at the age of 60. I spent my professional life working for a number of charities so when the time came to retire, I was looking for something worthwhile to do."
"A number of my friends had suffered from benign prostate problems but I realised very little work was being done into research because of a lack of funds. I decided to get off my backside and do something about it."
Prostate Research Campaign UK was registered as a charity in 1994, the year after Mr. Kilmister founded it. It has raised well over a million pounds to finance important scientific and medical research into both benign and malignant disorders of the prostate gland. It has also been active in raising awareness and producing educative information of real value to patients and their families.
"As a firm traditionalist within the Church of England, I have always defended the traditional prayer book," he says. "I am really delighted to have been granted the award on both counts. And it is particularly meaningful because my wife Sheila, who accompanied me to the Palace, and I were married on May 24th 1958 which proved to be the very last Empire Day. The year after our wedding, everyone was celebrating Commonwealth Day instead. The OBE will robustly re-establish my links to the Empire."
For further information about the work of Prostate Research Campaign UK or for information about prostate disease, please review this website or contact us at the address below.