Baron Joffe of Liddington said he was "honoured" to be asked to take the role.

Society Chairman Dr John Cullimore said there were many reasons why Lord Joffe was the ideal person to have as the society's figurehead.

"We wanted to have somebody behind us who has a reputation for supporting the community and also an affection for the locality, and Lord Joffe fitted the bill perfectly. Even better - he is Baron Joffe of Liddington, of all places, which has special significance for us.

"When we set up the society, it took us ten seconds to decide to feature Liddinton Hill on our logo as it's an abiding symbol of Swindon and the locality. Alfred Williams recognised this before us and wrote a poem about it, and wrote at length about the area.

"So you having Lord Joffe of Liddington on board is great news for us, and we're honoured that his name will now be associated with us."

Joel Joffe is a Labour peer and became Baron Joffe of Liddington in 2000, after receiving the CBE in 1999. In the Sixties he was a world renowned human rights lawyer, famous defending Nelson Mandela. Originally from South Africa, he later came to Britain and founded Hambro Life Assurance and has been associated with Oxfam over many years, as Chairman between 1995 and 2001.

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