In the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 ranking of the wealthiest people in the United Kingdom, he placed 388th with an estimated fortune of £140 million.

He received a knighthood for services to education in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2001,[7] as well being appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Tyne and Wear in 2002[8] and the Freedom of the City of Sunderland[9] in 2011.

[citation needed] Vardy began to support people, who through alcohol and drug misuse or on leaving custodial sentences, found themselves homeless.

He is a director of the Durham and Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company,[citation needed] which has set up a charity called ARCC,[17] to support the Probation Service's work in the north east.

[citation needed] Following this, Vardy established Safe Families for Children in the UK in 2012,[18] and by using volunteers has seen the charity develop throughout England working with 31 local authorities and seeing reductions of up to 17.5% in the first years of operation.