Advertising guru Trevor Beattie launches charity

Millionaire Midland advertising executive Trevor Beattie is launching a charity, it was announced today.

The Wolverhampton Polytechnic graduate, who founded £60 million agency Beattie McGuinness Bungay, is establishing the Jack and Ada Beattie Foundation, named after his late parents.

The charity will continue Mr Beattie's work supporting D-Day veterans but will also offer grants "to assist the vulnerable and marginalised of the Midlands and London", according to a statement released by BMB today.

Mr Beattie said the launch was "the most important thing I've ever done in my life".

His decision to back veterans of the Normandy landings is no surprise given he has twice bankrolled trips back to the French coast for survivors of one of the defining days of the conflict.

In 2009, Mr Beattie flew 800 veterans to Normandy for the 65th anniversary of the landings which began on June 6 1944. Earlier this year, he paid for three private jets for a smaller party of 20 veterans, relatives and friends from Walsall.