New mobile operator to donate 25% of profits to good causes

At the same time, The People's Operator (TPO), says that it will offer customers "great mobile deals". It starts today with a pay-as-you-go service, with text messages for example costing 7.5p. TPO will add a contract payment option in the new year. Both services will not charge for talking or texting to someone else on the TPO network.

 

 

 

At its launch this morning, TPO claimed that it was the UK's first commercial utility to donate 25% of its profits to good causes. The company has established an independent charitable trust, The TPO Foundation to distribute the funds.

 

Photo: TPO Co-Founders Andrew Rosenfeld, Tom Gutteridge, Mark Epstein and CEO Alex Franks

 

The Foundation is being chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly, currently the Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life and Chair of the King’s Fund; Kevin Curley CBE, the former Chief Executive of NAVCA (National Association for Voluntary and Community Action), and a member of the advisory council of the NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations); and property development entrepreneur Andrew Rosenfeld, former Chair of the NSPCC FULL STOP Campaign.

 

TPO is privately funded by AIRNET, a UK registered company wholly owned by Rosenfeld. He commented: "The People’s Operator represents a fundamental shift in the way commercial utilities support communities and causes. The more profit that is generated, the more we can pass on to deserving parts of society."

 

TPO can benefit not just registered charities, but local causes like schools, churches, youth groups and community groups.

 

Customers will be given the opportunity to receive updates via their mobile on how their money is being spent by the good causes that they have chosen to support. 

 

UK Fundraising asked if the company was planning to add a Gift Aid element to the customers' donations to boost the value of the gifts but there were no current plans to do so.

 

 

 

TPO is aleady working with charities and community groups throughout the UK such as the NSPCC, the Trussell Trust, ChildLine, Islington Giving, Regenerate, and Claxton House.

 

 

 

 

www.thepeoplesoperator.com