Sterling Petroleum has donated £100,000 to Pennies, the charity that organises micro-donations from customers at the checkout for a retailer’s chosen cause.
Nakendram (Theepan) Pitatheepan, the owner of the 30-site forecourt operator, was inspired after hearing a talk by the charity’s chief executive at an industry event in April.
And now in turn he hopes his action will encourage other forecourt operators to follow his long-held example of giving 10% of his company’s net profit to help local communities, and support Pennies.
His contribution will be used to help fund Pennies, which uses such gifts to recruit retailers to its digital scheme, as well as aiding the development of technology to make the donations possible.
Pitatheepan is also planning to adopt the Pennies scheme across his forecourts.
With fewer people using cash, Pennies’ work replaces the traditional way many shoppers supported good causes by dropping change into a charity box.
Under the scheme, retailers can ask customers to top up their purchase to the nearest pound, or make a specific payment amount at point of purchase, which could be banded depending on the cost of the customer basket: for example a 50p donation on a basket worth £5, and 20p for one under that amount.
Pennies works with payment and epos providers to enable customers to make micro donations. And mindful that retailers will want to avoid queues forming with a complicated payment procedure, it has a “one tap, one click option”, which it says makes donating “simple and fast”.
Generally, around 10% of customers will agree to donate, says the charity, with each site potentially generating thousands of pounds each year. Also, retailers can choose their own charity once Pennies has made due diligence checks. And participating outlets have found that both customers and staff “feel good about themselves” by getting involved, says chief executive Alison Hutchinson CBE.
Rontec, MFG, Ascona and Moto are among more than 180 retail partners for Pennies. But Hutchinson expects that many in the roadside sector are unaware of how they could get involved.
“It is often said that we are the best kept secret,” says Hutchinson. “We have created a micro-donation movement which makes donating easy and affordable in a digital world.
“We are championing the humble penny that most people wouldn’t pick up off the floor if it was on the street. People have fallen out of love with the humble penny and don’t think it buys anything, but we show that when the pennies come together, and people donate 5p, 20p or 50p, that has a massive social impact.”
Over 15 years, Pennies has raised over £80 million for 1,200 mostly UK charities.
Hutchinson is delighted to have received Pitatheepan’s donation, which she says will generate a significant result for the charity: “In effect every penny we spend we get a tenfold social impact from all the work we do. And so Theepan’s donation will help us deliver £1 million-worth of impact on society,” she says.
Pitatheepan, who joined the petrol retailing industry as a commission operator in 2014, before going on to set up Sterling Petroleum six years later, is equally thrilled.
“This is not an ego thing for me. I’ve been brought up to believe that when you have a certain amount of money, you should share it. Over the years, I’ve already donated a six figure sum to charity, including sponsoring local football teams, building a football ground, and supporting an autism charity in Wales,” he says.
“Pennies is an easier way for me to donate, and to give something back to the communities which have helped me make a success of my 30 forecourts.
“I hope that other forecourt operators will see how straightforward Pennies is, and want to join me in supporting them.”
