{{Short description|British investor and philanthropist}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{notability|Biographies|date=January 2017}} thumb|William Holroyd in 2015 '''Charles William Holroyd''' CBE DL (born 7 February 1953) is a British investor and philanthropist.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://philanthropy.coutts.com/en/reports/2014/united-kingdom/case-studies/bill-holroyd.html|title=BILL HOLROYD CBE DL - UK Case Studies - Coutts Million Dollar Donor Report|publisher=|access-date=21 December 2016|archive-date=22 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222000525/http://philanthropy.coutts.com/en/reports/2014/united-kingdom/case-studies/bill-holroyd.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career== Holroyd joined Forte's group supply division where he stayed for eight years, setting up and running their national distribution network. {{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

In 1982, he left to set up his own foodservice distribution company, Holroyd Meek. By 1994, the company had a turnover of £190m serving over 7,000 restaurants across the UK. In 1995, Booker acquired the company and Holroyd started his own investment company.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}

Between 1995 and 2015, he invested in over 25 start-up and second-stage companies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessgrowthfund.co.uk/talent/bill-holroyd-cbe/|title=Bill Holroyd CBE - Business Growth Fund|first=Jon|last=Rhodes|publisher=}}</ref>

==Philanthropy== In 2008, Holroyd set up OnSide Youth Zones,<ref>{{cite web |last=Greenhalgh |first=Hugo |date=2 January 2016 |title=UK philanthropist aims to raise £600m to build 100 youth centres |url=https://www.ft.com/content/c6e39ef2-99cf-11e5-987b-d6cdef1b205c |access-date=17 August 2023 |website=Financial Times |publisher=}}</ref> a charity providing safe, state-of-the-art facilities for young people in their leisure time. As of 2016 eight Youth Zones were complete with fourteen in process. Over 30,000 young people were regular users of the Youth Zones.<ref name="onsideyouthzones.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.onsideyouthzones.org/about-us/our-board/|title=Our Board|publisher=|access-date=2016-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208083204/http://www.onsideyouthzones.org/about-us/our-board/|archive-date=2016-12-08|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bill-holroyd-how-one-phone-call-led-to-the-millionaire-philanthropist-setting-up-youth-zones-across-a6801301.html|title=How one phone call led to a millionaire setting up youth centres across the UK|date=7 January 2016|publisher=}}</ref>

In 2013, he was appointed CBE for his charitable works.<ref name="blackburnyz.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.blackburnyz.org/bill-holroyd-founder-and-chair-of-onside-awarded-a-cbe-in-the-2012-new-years-honours-list/|title=Bill Holroyd, founder and chair of OnSide, awarded a CBE in the 2012 New Years Honours list - Blackburn Youth Zone|publisher=|access-date=2016-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221235037/http://www.blackburnyz.org/bill-holroyd-founder-and-chair-of-onside-awarded-a-cbe-in-the-2012-new-years-honours-list/|archive-date=2016-12-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Bill and Julie Holroyd set up The Holroyd Foundation in 2014. The foundation seeks to promote health, welfare, education and opportunity with particular emphasis on young people. The foundation makes donations to charities associated with young people, cancer associated charities and many local charities in Cheshire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://opencharities.org/charities/1156845|title=THE HOLROYD FOUNDATION :: OpenCharities|publisher=}}</ref>

In 2015, he had the privilege of fulfilling the role of the High Sheriff of Cheshire and the honour of a Beacon Fellowship for Philanthropy.<ref name="beaconawards.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://beaconawards.org.uk/fellow/167|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004092848/http://beaconawards.org.uk/fellow/167|url-status=usurped|archive-date=4 October 2015|title=Beacon Awards|publisher=}}</ref>

He was Chairman of Bolton Lads and Girls Club and Committee Member of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.

== Awards == *Deputy Lieutenant since 2008 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheshirelieutenancy.org.uk/high-sheriff-cheshire-mr-bill-holroyd-cbe-dl/|title=2015-16 High Sheriff Of Cheshire Mr Bill Holroyd CBE, DL - The Cheshire Lieutenancy|first=Cheshire West and Chester|last=Council|publisher=|access-date=21 December 2016|archive-date=3 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003025705/http://www.cheshirelieutenancy.org.uk/high-sheriff-cheshire-mr-bill-holroyd-cbe-dl/|url-status=dead}}</ref> *CBE 2013 <ref name="blackburnyz.org"/> *High Sheriff of Cheshire 2015 *Beacon Fellowship Award for Philanthropy 2015 <ref name="beaconawards.org.uk"/> == Personal life == Bill is married to Julie. They live in Cheshire with their children, Olivia and Harrison. Bill has two older children Laura and Nicholas and two grandchildren.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tarporley.news/#!Bills-Charitable-Crusade/c16ee/572219170cf2a12871bb327e|title=tarporleynews|publisher=|access-date=2016-12-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222001538/http://www.tarporley.news/#!Bills-Charitable-Crusade/c16ee/572219170cf2a12871bb327e|archive-date=2016-12-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holroyd, Bill}} Category:Living people Category:British investors Category:1953 births Category:British philanthropists Category:Deputy lieutenants of Cheshire Category:Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire