Seventy four year old north Londoner Erich Reich, one of the UK’s most innovative tour operators, has been recognised in the New Year’s Honours list and is awarded the Knight of the British Empire (KBE) for his work as Chairman Kindertransport Group, Association of Jewish Refugees and for charitable services.
Himself a refugee who came to this country at the age of four, the Honour is in recognition of both his commitment to charity through his pioneering concept of overseas charity challenge fundraising events, operated by his company Classic Tours, and for his contribution in trying to ensure future generations learn from past horrors including facilitating the erection of public monuments in commemoration of the Kindertransport from Nazi Europe.
Erich says; “I’m overawed to receive such an Honour. It is a tribute to the work of my team at Classic Tours who tirelessly support my original concept to help charities fundraise through overseas challenge events, and to my kindred spirits and fellow survivors of the Holocaust who benefited from, and in turn give back to, the Kindertransport movement. I want to thank the people of Britain for allowing the Kinder to come to the UK and for this amazing Honour.”
Erich founded Classic Tours in 1992 to operate his overseas charity challenge events, which now includes treks, cycle rides and mountain climbing, all over the world, with each participant raising money for charity.
Classic Tours has so far inspired over 42,000 people to raise around £60 million net for 300 plus charities working with many of the UK’s charities large and small.
In addition Erich, who came to the UK with the Kinder (children) Transport in 1939, is recognised for his work with the Kindertransport group and the Association of Jewish Refugees. In the months between the Kristallnacht Pogrom of November 1938 and the start of World War II, nearly 10,000 children were sent without their parents, from Nazi Germany, Austria, Poland and Czechoslovakia to safety in Great Britain. Many including Erich never saw their parents again.
Erich has been instrumental in facilitating the erection of public monuments in memory and commemoration of the Kindertransport, including raising funds personally in part through a bike challenge ride from Berlin to Auschwitz. As a result monuments have been erected in the UK, Germany, Austria, and Poland. He has been Chairman of the Kindertransport Committee for the last two years, organising in November 2008 the 70th anniversary celebration of the decision by Parliament to allow the children into the UK.
Erich lives in Highgate, with his wife Linda and has five grown up children; Ramit, Allon, Liora, Jonathan and Joel.
For more information on Erich’s work and the organisations he works with visit
http://www.classictours.co.uk and http://www.kindertransport.org/
or call Classic Tours on 020 7619 0066.
For media enquiries contact Caroline Corfield-Rose at Core Communications Ltd Tel 07979 706 553 or email caroline@corecommunications.co.uk.