Ruddock is closely involved with numerous charitable institutions and is a noted philanthropist in the arts and in education. Ruddock served as chairman of the Victoria & Albert Museum from 2007 to November 2015. He was made an honorary senior research fellow at the Museum and is a trustee of the V&A Foundation. He is also a former chairman of the museum's Trustee Finance and Development Committees. He was the lead private donor for the renovation of the V&A's Renaissance and Medieval galleries, a £32m project and the museum's largest in more than 100 years. At the British Museum, Sir Paul and his wife Jill funded the renovation of the European Medieval gallery. In March 2014 the British Museum opened a second gallery funded by the couple:
The Sir Paul and Lady Ruddock Gallery of Sutton Hoo and Europe 300–1100, an early medieval collection that includes objects from the
Sutton Hoo ship burial in Suffolk. Sir Paul was appointed by the Prime Minister as a Trustee of the Museum in October 2016. Ruddock's tenure as a Trustee concluded in July 2024, after which the Museum named Sir Paul an Honorary Senior Research Fellow. In January 2011, Ruddock was appointed a Trustee of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where he serves on the merchandise, acquisitions and external affairs committee. He is also Co-Chair of the International Council. In collaboration with
King Edward's School, Birmingham, Sir Paul and Jill Ruddock funded a new performing arts centre, which the couple formally opened in 2012. Ruddock is an ambassador for AfriKids, through which he has been involved in several educational and charitable projects in Africa. He has donated substantial funds and helped the charity connect with other donors. Ruddockwas elected a
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) on 11 November 2010. He is a former trustee of the Samuel Courtauld Trust and a former chairman of the Gilbert Trust for the Arts. He continues to actively support the
Courtauld Institute of Art. His further charitable involvement includes commitments to the
Donmar Warehouse and
The National Trust. In April 2014, Ruddock was appointed chair of the World War I Cathedral Repairs Commission. Sir Paul is a member of the J. Paul Getty President's International Council and a member of the Bard Graduate Center's advisory board.
Awards for philanthropy Ruddock is the UK recipient of the 2014 Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, established by the Montblanc Cultural Foundation to recognise patrons of the arts who have made exceptional contributions to artists and their work. Winners are chosen from a shortlist by an international jury of artists and art influencers. Past recipients of the award include the Prince of Wales, Russian maestro
Valery Gergiev, American musician
Quincy Jones, Italian architect
Renzo Piano and Japanese artist
Yoko Ono. In January 2015, Ruddock was appointed chairman of the University of Oxford Endowment fund, following his appointment to its board in September 2014. In May 2015, Ruddock was made a "Chevalier dans
Ordre des Arts et Lettres" for services to French art, awarded by the French Government's
Minister of Culture. In October 2015, Ruddock was given a Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy Award by Spear's, the London-based wealth management, business and culture magazine. In April 2016, Ruddock was given an "Outstanding Patron" award by the Iris Foundation, an organisation created in 1997 to recognize scholars, patrons, and professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the study and appreciation of the decorative arts. In May 2019 he received an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Humane Letters) by
Bowdoin College, Maine, for philanthropy and services to the arts. In July 2019 he received an honorary doctorate (Doctor of the University) by the
University of Birmingham, UK, for philanthropy and services to the arts. ==References==