Ian Fagelson recognised by Prime Minister for his Virtual Tours
Lawyer and official City of London tour guide Ian Fagelson has made it his mission to engage people in the city’s rich history whilst supporting charities close to him, including World Jewish Relief. Early last year Ian made it onto Trip Advisor’s list of top ten London tour guides, a worthy accolade for his engaging and creative tours. Between 2018 and 2020 his walking tours raised £20,000 for a range of charities.
When the UK went into lockdown last year, Ian was determined to continue running his tours and supporting his chosen charities. He recognised the urgent importance of World Jewish Relief and Norwood’s work during the pandemic, and kindly committed to supporting us through a series of virtual walking tours.
Since October, Ian has taken over 900 people on his digital Jewish history tour of London via Zoom. Accompanied by images, Ian whizzes through 1000 years of Jewish history in an hour, starting with the arrival of a small Jewish community from Normandy in 1066 and ending at the Kindertransport statue on Liverpool Street station. As word has spread about this exciting virtual journey, he has successfully raised over £15,000 for World Jewish Relief and Norwood.
We are delighted that in December 2020 Ian was awarded a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister for his charitable endeavours. This award serves as much deserved recognition for his determination to support causes close to him, whilst simultaneously offering much-needed entertainment to people in lockdown across more than nine countries.
Chief Executive Paul Anticoni said: ‘Our heartiest congratulations to Ian Fagelson on deservedly receiving the Points of Light award from the Prime Minister in recognition of his remarkable voluntary fundraising achievements for both World Jewish Relief and Norwood.’
Ian is not done yet! His new virtual tour, a Virtual Walk in Shakespeare’s Footsteps, will take you back 400 years to when William Shakespeare lived and worked in London. You will visit some of the most beautiful sites in London, including two of Shakespeare’s London homes, the Globe theatre and beyond. This tour is taking place on Sunday 10th January at 7.30pm GMT.
