Charity fuel card could raise millions of pounds

Hopes are high that millions of pounds could be raised for charities following the launch of what is believed to be the UK’s first charity fuel card.

Professional Charity Services (PCS) was launched last year with the aim of helping charities use their collective purchasing power to drive volume-related discounts and, in the case of the fuel card, raise money for them through rebates.

To launch the fuel card, PCS has joined forces with Shell, which will rebate between 1.75p per litre up to a maximum of 3.05ppl to individual charities.

The rebate will be dependent on the volume of fuel purchased collectively by users of the special charity-specific fuel cards at the oil giant’s fixed weekly price.

Up to 90% of the rebate goes to the charity with 10% to PCS, with corporates using a charity fuel card electing the percentage of rebate sent by Shell to their supported charity and the percentage retained by them. Each fuel card carries an annual £5 fee.

The initial charity fuel card, which can be used at more than 1,100 Shell forecourts in the UK as well as more than 3,000 partner sites operated by Esso, Texaco, Total, Gulf and Gleaner, is expected to be followed up with the launch of a B2C version that can be used across all forecourts including supermarkets.

PCS hopes to have one million charity fuel cards in circulation within three years. Each one is estimated to generate rebates worth £50 that could see £50 million raised for charities. Each card is available displaying the name and logo of the user’s chosen charity.

Separately, PCS is also forging links with motor manufacturers, including Fiat, Hyundai, Peugeot and Vauxhall, enabling individual charities to buy or lease vehicles for their own fleets on special preferential terms.

The company was launched by Paul Wright, an ex-soldier who has worked in the fleet industry for almost 20 years.

He has held fleet-related roles with the Evans Halshaw Motor Group, Pendragon Contracts and Reg Vardy prior to launching Fleet Cost Management three years ago, which manages 15,000 vehicles.

Wright said: “PCS is focused on working with charities and using their collective buying power to negotiate discounts or raise money for them in partnership with suppliers.

“We hope that corporates will select the charity of their choice and support them by utilising the new fuel card while also saving money on fuel themselves.”

PCS and Shell said the charity fuel card can be adopted in three ways: by charities to fuel their own vehicle fleet, by the corporate sector adopting the card and nominating their own charity or charities to support, and by charities’ employees and supporters with the imminent launch of a B2C fuel card.

Paul Nicholls, key account manager at Shell Fuel Cards, said: “PCS is an agent for the Shell fuel card in a market sector we have never focused on to any significant degree.

“We do have some charity business, but it was a good opportunity to raise our profile in the sector and rebate funds into charities.”

Both PCS and Shell have already undertaken a number of presentations to various charities and businesses and say applications are now being processed, although cards are not yet in circulation.

Those organisations include The Confederation of Service Charities (COBSEO), which represents numerous armed forces charities including Blesma, which helps limbless veterans, Help for Heroes and SSAFA, and other charities such as RSPCA and Marie Curie Cancer Care, which is supported annually by Fleet News at the Fleet News Awards.

Fleets opting for the card also benefit from the range of fuel management tools and consolidated reporting available through Shell Fuel Cards.

Warrington-based Warrior Facilities Solutions, a division of the Warrior Group of companies, has applied to introduce the charity fuel card which will support COBSEO.

The company operates a fleet of 50 LCVs driven by two-man teams with each employee having a fuel card.

Mike Berry, the company’s business unit director, said while the company already used fuel cards the way the business had grown meant different cards, including the Shell card, were utilised. He added: “It highlights a feelgood factor from a corporate responsibility viewpoint.”

Peter Lee, head of corporate development, Marie Curie Cancer Care, said: “It’s exciting to think that corporate fleets could be supporting Marie Curienurses throughout the UK, just by filling up at the pumps.

“The development of new and innovative models of fundraising like this has the potential to help Marie Curie nurses to deliver vital care in the community for people living with terminal illnesses and their families.”