Seashell Trust becomes first charity to join campaign

1 December 2009

The first charity has joined the ‘Driving for Better Business’ campaign.

Hopes are now high that the involvement by the Greater Manchester-based Seashell Trust in the campaign will lead to more charities implementing robust occupational road risk management policies and procedures, particularly in respect of ‘grey’ fleet vehicles - privately-owned cars driven on work-related journeys.

The Seashell Trust provides education and residential care for people with complex communication difficulties from across the UK. It operates a school for pupils and students from two to 19 years, a college which caters for learners who are 19 years and older and an adult residential home that can accommodate 12 people. 

While the Seashell Trust, which until last year was known as The Royal School for the Deaf and Communication Disorders, only has a small fleet embracing three minibuses, two people carriers and two delivery vans approximately 75 privately-owned vehicles are driven on business trips.

Across the country thousands of employees and community-spirited volunteers drive their own cars on business trips on behalf of a wide range of charities. But it is believed that many charitable organisations have yet to implement similar cutting-edge safe-driving policies to those introduced by the Seashell Trust, which include driver risk assessments, completion of a pre-journey vehicle health and safety checklist and a risk assessment of the journey being undertaken.

To see the full case study click here.