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Charity begins at home
Page 12
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This week, as NFC announced the appointment of a new head, current chairman Sir Peter Thompson launched his new book, Sharing the Success, which chronicles his time with the industry giant. He has been talking to CM about NFC's social conscience...
• "There's not much you can do with a bald head and a big nose," Sir Peter Thompson said to the CM photographer taking a picture for the launch of his new book.
It's the sort of remark that typifies the man who took the city by storm eight years ago when he led the buyout of the UK's largest transport group, NFC.
His flamboyant style has contributed much to the success of this once-nationalised firm. And with his departure this Christmas, coupled with the unveiling of his new NFC book, many observers are wondering if the NFC will be the same animal without the charismatic Sir Peter.
But the NFC chief, who was rumoured to have been offered the post of chairman of British Rail, is confident that the NFC success story will continue.
He says he is proud to have been involved since 1972 in a group which has not only led the transport field in business, but one which has made a hard-nosed industry aware of its social responsibilities.
PENSIONERS
"Some believe all a company has to do is keep churning out good profits. I regard that as the minimum hurdle," says Sir Peter. "Great companies are judged by a wider spectrum — the way they treat their staff, their pensioners and society in general."
NFC has certainly taken its social responsibilities very seriously.
For the first three years after the buyout, Sir Peter admits "the NFC was just concerned with pushing up profits". But then in 1985, the industry giant published The Way Ahead. This was a document studying NFC and its responsibilities, looking at profitsharing, double voting rights for employees and relationships
with the community.
It recommended the creation of a "social responsibility council" which was to be given 1% of NFC shares along with 0.5% of pre-tax profits to be spent on "worthwhile causes".
One of the first groups to be targeted by the council were the NFC's old-age pensioners. "We realised we did nothing apart from pay a pension, so we thought, 'let's get the pensioners together'," says Sir Peter.
The response was overwhelming. In just three years the project has produced 44 active pensioner groups which arrange meetings, trips and even help produce a regular magazine called Changing Gear. Last year alone, more than 3,000 visits were made to NFC pensioners and at Christmas hampers were sent to everyone over the age of 75.
"After the pensioner scheme took off, we realised the need for such services," says Sir Peter, "so we decided to provide more facilities for the more aged and frail — the fastest growing section."
These good intentions have blossomed into a Manchester housing project. The group has helped fund 24 beds with a housing association which in turn entitles NFC pensioners to take up to 24 places with similar projects around the UK.
Another social initiative from the group is NFC and the Community. It is designed to encourage local branches to become involved with community projects.
Links have already been fostered with more than 60 UK schools, and ties have also been established with the Prince's Youth Business Trust which helps the young and underprivileged to set up new business ventures.
Sir Peter says: "We are giving .U00,000 to the Prince's Trust over five years. But it is not just giving money. Local managers also give up their time to offer guidance and help to those setting up new businesses."
Finally there is NFC's charitable work — last year more than £335,000 was donated to 250 charities.
"Most of the money goes to childrens' charities or medical causes. We do not give money to the Arts — our shareholders never want to. I like to look upon them as generous philistines," Sir Peter says smiling.
CHARITABLE
All NFC staff are encouraged to get involved in charitable work. The group even promises to match, pound for pound, any cash raised by its subsidiaries.
In 1989, hundreds of employees helped organise fundraising events for the highprofile childrens' hospital Great Ormond Street.
This year, money is being donated to a minibus appeal — the first bus has already been handed over to a handicapped childrens' school in Cheshire.
Even some of the money raised from Sir Peter's new book will end up in the NFC charity coffers.
"Business too has an important part to play in making this a healthy and happy country," he says.
D Tanya Cordrey