Michael Robson, Chief Executive of Andrews & Partners

Despite our long history in the marketplace many people are unaware that we were founded by Cecil Jackson Cole, who went on to establish Oxfam, Help the Aged, Action Aid and other household charitable names.  Andrews is owned by three registered charitable trusts and pays out a dividend to those charities each year, which has totalled more than £1 million over the last 5 years.

As CEO of Andrews I have always been very proud of our philanthropy and to be recognised first as 2011 Business Charity Champion and more recently at the Estate Agency of the Year 2013 awards for Outstanding Contribution to Estate Agency has made me feel very proud of the work that we do.  The recent award was given in part because of our beliefs and unique charitable work.

Some people are understandably surprised and a bit cynical about an estate agency business that operates in this way.  However, our founder was committed to the belief that business and charity should be more aligned and we are passionate about continuing his legacy.

We would also argue why aren’t more businesses operating in this way? In a competitive marketplace we feel this is what sets us apart from the crowd.

However, we do appreciate like most things in life, with regards to society and business, it’s all about striking a balance; without profits we would be unable to sustain the business and therefore continue to maintain our charitable support. 

For those businesses that do want to make a difference and give something back, your local community is a good place to start. Spending time volunteering for local projects is extremely rewarding and we know our teams benefit from doing just that.

With regards to giving to charitable causes,  it’s important to take time to think about what charities or projects you should be supporting.  What does your community need and what will have the biggest impact in it?  When you have found that project, ask yourself does it fit in with your values as a business?  Giving these areas serious thought will help you make the right decision for your business.

Whenever people ask me if we can sustain our ethos in this modern world, I always say yes. Despite the company being founded over 60 years ago, I firmly believe that our values have never been so important.