Charitable giving

Interserve believes in contributing to the well-being of the communities in which it operates. We have a programme which operates at different levels: at Group level we select a charity every two years and make an annual donation; we encourage business units to run charitable events, either for the Group charity or for another cause that is important to the area or the people involved; and we offer support for employees to undertake sponsored activities.

Through 2006 and 2007 we supported ChildLine, the UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children in distress or danger. Trained volunteer counsellors comfort, advise and protect children and young people who may feel they have nowhere else to turn. Committees in divisional and business-unit locations across the Group organised fund-raising events and assisted individuals in undertaking sponsored activities. As a result of their work, the commitment and dedication shown by many employees in their own sponsored activities and the generosity of numerous people in Interserve and beyond, £22,500 was raised in 2007 to complement the Company donation of £25,000.

Our chosen charity for the next two years is Shelter. Shelter provides advice and assistance to help people who have become homeless find a way back on to their feet and into permanent accommodation.

Beyond ChildLine, all Interserve divisions took part in the Financial Times' Crisis at Christmas Card Challenge, where money is donated to charity instead of being spent on Christmas cards. We donated a total of £10,000: £3,000 to the appeal and £7,000 to WaterAid. Among many other donations and sponsorships from all over the Group, our Landmarc subsidiary and its staff gave £25,000 to the RNLI.

Investors in People

Investors in People (IiP) is the national standard which sets a level of good practice for training and development of people to achieve business goals. It provides a framework for improving business performance and competitiveness through a planned approach to setting and communicating business objectives and developing people to meet these objectives.

Our strategy is to roll out IiP recognition across the Group and we are reviewing and updating our plans for achieving this to take into account the operations acquired with MacLellan. Group Centre, Investments and Project Services were all reaccredited successfully in 2006.

In support of good people-management practices, other initiatives have been implemented during the year including the enhancement of benefits available to employees, the development of a suite of materials to help employees understand more about Interserve and how they can both contribute to and benefit from the Group's capabilities, and Equipment Services deployed its management development programme to the next level of managers.

The success of individuals committed to their personal training and development is recognised through the well-established Interserve Training Trust. The Chief Executive presented 45 people from across the Group with awards in May 2008.

Employee consultation

We believe in involving our personnel in matters affecting them as employees and have continued to keep them informed of all relevant factors concerning the Group's performance, strategy, financial status, charitable activities and other issues. We achieve this through formal and informal briefings, through our Group magazine, Focus, which is issued three times a year, and through our intranet. Employee representatives are consulted regularly on a wide range of matters affecting their current and future interests.

Interserve supports SHELTER for 2008 and 2009

	In Britain today, millions of people will wake up in housing that is run down, overcrowded or dangerous. Many will be living in cramped B & Bs and hostels, with families living, eating and sleeping in a single room. Some won't even have access to basic cooking facilities, so will be resorting to eating cans of beans that have been heated on the radiator.  Shelter helps 170,000 people every year fight for their rights, get back on their feet and keep a home. It does this through its specialist advice and support services including its Housing Advice Centres, free housing advice helpline which is available 365 days a year, and website. Regional projects focus on older people, young people, BME groups, prisons and schools. Shelter also tackles the root causes of bad housing by campaigning for new laws, policies and solutions. Every pound we raise will help Shelter provide the emergency advice and practical support needed by homeless families.   Everyone should have a home! Shelter believes everyone should have a home. We help people find and keep a home. We campaign for decent housing for all.

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