Interval International, a prominent worldwide provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group, announced the affiliation of the fractional residences at Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa. The mixed-used resort is located in Carvoeiro, a whitewashed village in the western part of the sun-drenched Algarve. On the southern tip of Portugal, the Algarve is one of Europe’s favourite vacation destinations, renowned for its rocky coastline, beautiful beaches, golf, and nightlife.

“As its name suggests, Vale d’Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa is set in a valley of olive trees,” said Darren Ettridge, Interval’s senior vice president of resort sales and business development for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia. “Panoramic views of the surrounding hills and adjoining golf course make the resort seem a world away from holiday crowds, yet it’s only a short drive to Carvoeiro and the beach. The resort is beautifully appointed with a definite luxury feel.”

The property has 22 acres of landscaped gardens laced with walking paths within its gated grounds. On-site amenities include two outdoor swimming pools, a health club with a heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and gymnasium, and tennis courts. The resort’s world-class spa offers a wide range of massage and beauty treatments.

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Diamond Resorts International® promotes eco-awareness as resorts worldwide produce sustainable gardens

Diamond Resorts International® (Diamond), a global leader in the hospitality and vacation ownership industries, continues its global sustainability efforts through the cultivation and utilization of local fruit, vegetable and herb gardens at resorts worldwide. Ka‘anapali Beach Club in Maui, Hawaii, The Historic Powhatan Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia and Vilar do Golf in Algarve, Portugal each utilize on-site sustainable gardens for everyday cooking in resort restaurants.

The use of these gardens enhances the natural environment while benefiting the ecosystem and local economy. Minimal chemical pesticides and fertilizers are used during production and the installation of underground watering systems decreases water waste and eliminates runoff. Each garden boasts unique features and hosts an array of fresh produce native to the area while specific to the cultural cuisine and restaurant offerings. In addition to cooking benefits for the restaurants, the gardens have also proven useful as an educational tool for guests and children as they are allowed to tour the gardens, pick fresh ingredients and participate in cooking demos.

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Online voting will end on April 29^th for timeshare and fractional industry professionals looking to assist in deciding the winners for the inaugural Perspective Magazine Awards Program.

Nearly 2,000 votes have already been cast online for nominees in the Perspective Magazine Awards program. However, timeshare and fractional industry professionals who have not yet cast their ballots only have until the end of this week to participate in the selection process.[membe]

April 29^th is the deadline for online voters to help choose between nearly 150 entries submitted for the awards program, with winners to be announced the evening of May 12^th, 2011 during a Gala dinner at the conclusion of global networking expo GNEX 2011.

Online voting is being conducted through the Perspective Magazine website at http://perspectivemagazine.com/awards, with voters asked to go to the website and follow the links for instructions on how to vote for their favorite individual or company. Once online voting is concluded, the votes will be added to the decisions of a select panel of industry experts in a process to decide the award winners.

“We are absolutely thrilled with the response from the industry so far during the voting process,” said Paul Mattimoe, president and CEO, Perspective Magazine. “With nominations coming in from around the world, we set up the website to make it as easy as possible for the industry to vote and they have exceeded our expectations. We are the only shared ownership industry awards program that includes this level of public involvement and look forward to expanding upon its success year on year.”

GNEX 2011 and the Perspective Magazine Awards will be held May 11^th-12^th, 2011 at the spectacular Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas and will take a comprehensive look at the industry from a global viewpoint. Industry associations from five continents have given their support to the event as attendees from the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and Australia will be examining creative new ways to grow their businesses.

Workshops discussing international best practices and new strategies to gain and maintain customers will provide outstanding value for delegates. The expo will also incorporate an exhibitor hall, networking sessions, a welcome reception, open networking time and areas for individual business meetings in addition to the Perspective Magazine Awards Gala dinner.

For more information and to find out how you can attend GNEX 2011, please visit http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex

Sponsors and supporters of GNEX 2011 include:

The Absolute World Group, Dial an Exchange, Resort Television, Yucatan Holidays, Citadel Trustees Limited, Connex, First American Title Insurance Company, ICE, Interval International, LeisureLink, Max Generation, RCI, First National Trustee Company, Lloydshare, Alternative Ownership Conference Asia Pacific (AOCAP), Australian Timeshare & Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC), Canadian Resort Development Association (CRDA), Cooperative Association of Resort Exchangers (CARE), La Asociación Mexicana de Desarrolladores Turísticos (AMDETUR), Ragatz Fractional Interest Conference, Resort Development Organisation (RDO), Vacation Ownership Association of Southern Africa (VOASA), American Airlines, Avis Rent A Car and Christel House International as Charity of Choice.

About Perspective Magazine

Perspective Magazine publishes four regional brands: industry publications Perspective Magazine North America, Perspective Magazine Europe & Middle East, Perspective Magazine South Africa and Perspective Magazine Asia Pacific. Together, the industry magazines are the most read independent trade publications globally for the shared ownership industry and the company is a media sponsor of 30 major industry events around the world. The company’s consumer magazine, Owners Perspective Magazine, is the only independent consumer publication that specializes in promoting the benefits of buying shared ownership products to the general public.  Distribution is via a variety of high-profile consumer channels including, but not limited to, more than 150 first class airport lounges worldwide with over a dozen airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta as well as hundreds of luxury hotels, resorts, spas and golf clubs.

For more information, please visit http://perspectivemagazine.com/gnex or email Steve Luba, Director of Public Relations, at steveluba(at)perspectivemagazine.com. For information on advertising and editorial opportunities visit http://perspectivemagazine.com/advertise. [/member]

RCI is proud to once again be the Global Title Sponsor of the Christel House Charity Golf Open and welcomes Nexus Leisure as Signature Sponsor of the European Events.

The RCI Christel House Charity Golf Open, now in its ninth year, has become a highlight of the timeshare industry’s fundraising calendar. A charity golf tournament on a global scale, the Christel House Open hosts tournaments across five continents.

For 2011 there will be two European golf events. The first to be held is on Saturday 11 June at the Pestana Vila Sol golf course, Vilamoura, Portugal and the second will be held on Monday 13 June at Ealing Golf Club, London, England.

Geoff Ballotti, CEO, RCI, said: “In the more than ten years since the charity’s founding, RCI has taken great pride in supporting Christel House (www.christelhouse.org), and the incredible work the organisation does to transform the lives of impoverished children around the world. We are delighted that Nexus Leisure is continuing its support of this worthy cause in 2011, which raises funds to help these children achieve their dreams. Together, we can truly make a difference.”

Nexus Leisure has worked actively for the charity for more than ten years, incorporating various fundraising activities into the heart of its operation, including a late check-out scheme in which fees for late check-outs are donated to the charity.

In commenting on the company’s continued sponsorship of the Christel House Open, Jerry Graber from Nexus Leisure said: “As a company we are so proud to be associated with Christel House and its good work. We look forward to being part of yet another series of world golf events where we will all have the opportunity to join together in sporting comradeship and raise further funds for the cause.”

He added “Nexus will be fielding two teams at the Europe events this year, ever hopeful of winning. Though the competition, as always, will be tough, the important thing to remember is that Christel House emerges as the real winner.”

Ballotti added: “To make a difference in the lives of the children of Christel House this has to be a real team effort. In 2010 the golf tournaments alone helped raise $490,000 for the charity. And so we’d like to ask our affiliates, developers, suppliers and partners to join us at one of these planned tournaments across the globe to help raise even more money for Christel House in 2011. It’s sure to be a great day, and we can all take pride in knowing that we have helped make a difference in the lives of children and their families who need it most.”

Other sponsors include Perspective International who will be supporting the events as Global Media Sponsor and RCI Europe as the Half Way House Sponsor for both European events.

The Million Dollar Hole in One team will be back again this time at the Portugal Event.  If you get your tee shot to remain on the green you win a prize and if you make a hole in one you win an invitation to the Million Dollar Hole in One annual tournament in Las Vegas and shoot for One Million Dollars (US).

Christel House was founded in 1998 by RCI founder, Christel DeHaan, with the mission of helping children worldwide break the cycle of poverty. Today it serves over 3,000 students, assisting them in optimising their potential to be productive and self sufficient through education. What’s more, the charity has implemented a fantastic support structure which ensures that students are provided with ongoing support, medical care, guidance and transport costs.

For further details on participating in the European golf events, sponsorship opportunities or to donate a prize for the auction, please contact amanda.white@rci.com

Pestana Vila Sol Algarve

Internationally known, the Vila Sol golf course managed by the Pestana Group, is now part of the Algarve’s most sought after golf courses.

Having been inaugurated in 1991 with the signature of the architect Donald Steel, “Vila Sol, is living proof that dreams can be realised.

Located in the Central Algarve the Vila Sol Hotel and Golf resort is set in 75 acres of natural beauty and accommodates two magnificent golf courses, Pestana Vila Sol Championship and Pestana Vila Sol Academy Golf Course

Ealing Golf Club

Ealing golf club is an urban golfing haven, with a convenient location just off the A40, opposite the famous “art-deco” hoover building. Founded in 1898 and laid out by the distinguished golf course architect Harry S. Colt, this parkland course offers 18 holes of delightful but challenging golf to its members and visitors alike. The general condition of the course receives constant compliments and the greens are acclaimed by many top players as amongst the best they have ever played.

Interval International, a leading global provider of vacation services and an operating business of Interval Leisure Group (Nasdaq: IILG), has announced the affiliation of Villas d’Agua. Located in the charming fishing village at Olhos in the heart of Portugal’s famed Algarve, this resort covers five acres on a pine-forest covered cliff, steps from Olhos d’Àgua Beach.

GPEA Ltd, the parent company of global estate agency Fine & Country and The Guild of Professional Estate Agents, has formed a joint venture company with property PR specialist P1 Communications Ltd. The new company will provide PR services and media representation to Fine & Country’s global network of 280 UK and international offices, and the Guild’s 600 independent estate agent members in the UK.  P1 Communications’ staff will be based in GPEA’s Park Lane head office in Mayfair, London.

Malcolm Lindley, Managing Director of GPEA says: “The company has expanded rapidly in recent years and we wanted a more dedicated, hands-on team to help us make more of our success, build the brand and develop our networks further. We are delighted to be working with P1 Communications whose international and extensive property experience will be instrumental in promoting our global brand in a professional manner.”

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RDO member resorts work around the clock to help holidaymakers caught in “ash” crisis

With a massive backlog of flights now facing holidaymakers trying to get home, despite the opening of European airports, timeshare resorts which are members of the Resort Development Organisation (RDO) have been working tirelessly to provide emergency accommodation for stranded guests, helping them get home whenever possible now that the flight ban is officially over.

Families with children have found themselves taking an unexpected extended holiday in sun-soaked holiday destinations such as the Costa del Sol, Cyprus, The Canary Islands and the Algarve, right before the start of the new school term.

A number of resorts have stepped in to provide last minute arrangements and accommodation for families unable to get home, with resort teams working flat out to ensure owners either have somewhere to stay if no immediate flights are available, or help with last minute travel arrangements.

Some resorts have let guests stay on free of charge.  Seasons Holidays, Gala Resorts in Norway, Paradise Kings Club in Cyprus, Club La Costa Resorts & Hotels, Resort Properties and Pearly Grey have been accommodating guests at no extra charge, while Petchey Leisure Group, Pestana Resorts, Anfi Group and Hilton Grand Vacation Club in Portugal are providing discounted stays; some are offering significantly discounted menus in their restaurants.

Chairman of RDO Richard McIntosh, says, “Our member resorts have shown tremendous goodwill by helping out during this extraordinary crisis, not only ensuring timeshare owners are well looked after, but also doing all they can to get them home by coach or ferry services where at all possible.”

Many resorts’ travel agency divisions have been working without a break on re-booking and re-routing travel plans, doing all they can to help guests get home. Others are providing free internet access so guests can stay in touch with family back home and check the latest airline news.

At the time of writing, the flight ban has been lifted over the UK, but the situation could change if new ash cloud blows in from Iceland.

For up to date information on flights, visit http://www.flightstats.com/go/Home/home.do

About RDO
RDO (Resort Development Organisation) is the trade body dedicated to excellence and fair trading in the European vacation ownership industry, whilst promoting and fostering industry growth. As such, it serves its members through public relations, legislative lobbying, research and member and consumer relations management.

Formerly Organisation for Timeshare in Europe AISBL, RDO is an international non profit making association registered in Brussels with company number 0457.984.213.  Its registered office is at Oak House, Cours St Michel 100/3, 1040 Brussels, Belgium. Web: www.rdo.org, email: info@rdo.org

Obviously Pestana Vacation Club is doing something right. They’ve been in the business 25 years, building success upon success and accumulating thousands of satisfied owners during that time.

And although they’ve been in business for a long time, from the timeshare company’s outset in 1985 they’ve kept the same philosophy of creating fully integrated mixed-use hotel-timeshare resorts in Portugal and haven’t deviated from that – and it’s worked quite well for them. “It gives the consumers a peace of mind in knowing that they are being taken care of by the management of a professional hotel company while they enjoying the services and facilities of beautiful 5-star hotels,” Booth says.

Peter Booth

So as Pestana Vacation Club celebrates its silver anniversary, Perspective Magazine International Edition editor Matt McDaniel decided to interview Peter Booth, group managing director of Pestana Vacation Club, to talk about how the club started and what makes it so successful to this day.

What’s unique about your company?
What’s interesting with us is that we’ve been around a long time, so we’ve seen the good and the bad about this business. It helps if you’ve had that track record in the business and it’s helped us also the fact that in the beginning we came up with a philosophy of integrating our vacation clubs into our hotel properties and we stuck with that because it’s worked for us for the past 25 years. It’s helped us that we set out on the right course initially. I started the business back in 1985, so we have consistency in our management team: myself, our financial director, our operations director – these people have all been with us for 20 years or more, so we have a strong, consistent team of people that has been with us for a long time.

The other thing we really work hard on is our service approach – that’s what I would think sets us apart from many other resort operators in this business. When people come back to our resorts year after year, they receive higher levels of service than if they were staying with us for the first time. Because they’re a VIP client for us, they’re a loyal client. We have a file on each of our 26,000 owners, and before they arrive we go back and we look into what their needs and special requirements are. For instance, one time one of our guests left a comment saying he found the bed pillows a bit too soft. So the next year when he comes back, we’ve got to make sure that he doesn’t have to ask for firmer pillows again; they’re automatically there. We track each one of our 26,000 owners very closely, and we work on being able to fulfill and meet their needs. I think that’s why 50% of our owners come back and stay with us each year – which is quite high in this business.

You started Pestana’s vacation ownership division – tell me how you got started in the industry.
I was living and working in South Africa, where I was born and educated. Dionísio Pestana, the present chairman of the Pestana Group, and I both studied economics at university in South Africa where we met and became friends. We stayed in contact after university. Dionísio, who had gone back to Madeira in 1976 to work at the hotel that his father had on the island, invited me to come and join him in 1983. He and I discussed timesharing as a possibility. At the time Southern Suns Hotels, which was a large hotel chain in South Africa, was converting some of their hotels across to timesharing and we looked at that and thought that it was something we could build on the island of Madeira. We did our research and saw that Madeira had a lot of repeat guests and a good all-year-round season with no real high and low periods. Madeira was characterized by mainly 4- and 5-star hotels appealing to slightly more elderly profile of customer who tended to be in their 50s or semi-retired so they tended to have more leisure time than young couples with children. We felt those all added up to making a very good timeshare market and that’s what gave us the confidence to go ahead. We started off with 50 units as part of the 5-star hotel, which at the time was a Sheraton.

And that was the first timeshare in Madeira?
Nobody was doing timeshare in Madeira at that stage. In Portugal it was only ourselves and one other developer on the mainland at that time. But we were the pioneers of the mixed-use hotel-timeshare concept in Europe in those early years.

In contrast to the U.S., where the market essentially started with distressed hotel properties.

It’s been interesting, because at that stage in 1985, Pestana the group just had this one hotel and people forget that in those years – ’84, ’85 – interest rates in Portugal were like 26%, 27%. So timesharing in those years gave us the ability to be able to be less dependent on the banks and expand our operation, our hotel business, and makes some great acquisitions at a time when the cost of money was prohibitive.

So the timeshare division helped fuel Pestana Group’s overall growth?
Absolutely. In a period of 25 years we’ve gone from the one hotel to 88 today. The timesharing has fueled and been the catalyst for a lot of our growth.

Do you construct all your properties as mixed use?
We launched Madeira Beach Club in 1985 and haven’t deviated from that concept, we feel it makes sense for both ourselves and for our customers. We normally sell on a 30-year right to use – Madeira Beach Club is a good example; it’s now got a 25-year track record, we’ve got another five years to run on its lease and then we’ll refurbish it and re-market and sell it in three to four years’ time. We also give an option of a 15-year on some resorts.

The Pestana Promenade in Madeira, Portugal

But having said that, in Brazil we do have a vacation club that is a points-based club.

Because there we had a different concept – it’s more hotel accommodation that people are buying into because we didn’t build any purpose-built accommodation, we took an allotment of rooms from the 10 hotels we have in South America and we put that into a points club. We identified a different need for the Brazil market and developed a product that has been very successful there. To date we have 6,500 owners in Brazil, and we are doing more and more exchanges between Portugal and Brazil.

Tell me more about customer service at Pestana.
I’ve always believed wholeheartedly that if we were going to be around for the long term, it all depended on us giving a level of service that really exceeded the expectations of our owners. We honestly believe that our timeshare owners have to be treated as our VIP guests – because they are loyal customers, they come back and visit us each year. When they come back, they know what to expect from our service levels. We keep track of all our owners’ particular needs and requirements.

We have never been taken to court over a dispute with an owner. We’ve always been able to successfully manage the rare serious customer issue. And at the end of the day, if somebody wants out we’d rather give them their money back and bring in someone new who’s going to be an active Pestana owner and use the product, and recommend it to their friends and family.

What are the challenges for the business?
There’s the resale issue. We have our own resale program – we feel that we should take on that responsibility as a developer that’s been selling for the past 25 years. There are going to be people who for one reason or another need to sell their week. In our case, when you think of our age profile, many of our owners in 1985 maybe averaged 55 years of age. That person’s 80 years old today! We need to understand that maybe their needs have changed.

About 10% of the sales we do are resales, even if it’s less lucrative for us than selling our developer inventory. About 10 or 15 years ago, that wasn’t so much of a factor. But I’m comfortable with having our own resales department and that we do a fair amount of volume with it. At some point, we may need to look at increasing the number of resales we do as a company.

What is proving quite tough is to bring new talent into our business. That’s something we really have to work on because what tends to happen is the same people move from resort to resort, so as an industry we need to find ways to attract new talent because so much of our success depends on recruiting the right caliber of people and getting them trained to do the job.

Where else do you expect to open resorts in the future?
We’ve concentrated we’re we’ve got hotels, which tends to be resort locations. That would be Madeira, the Algarve and South America. Those are the three main destinations where we’ve really concentrated and I don’t think that’s likely to change in the foreseeable future.

What about South Africa?
We have a resort near Krueger Park and we have three resorts in Mozambique, but for the moment we haven’t entertained the timesharing option there – I’m not sure whether that might change in the future, but for the moment, they work very well as hotel properties.

You don’t add phases to your existing resorts?
No, because land here in Madeira is very limited and it’s very restricted. In Madeira it’s difficult to do that. We’re at our sixth resort Madeira, and the interesting thing about that is that in five years’ time we get back the original resort, Madeira Beach Club, with 150 units, when the lease expires. So we will go back and start selling that for the second time. The beauty of that is that you can go back to your old database – at Madeira Beach Club we have about 7,000 owners – so we’ll send a letter to them and market it to them to see whether they would feel inclined towards extending their lease, either for another 15 or 30 years. That’s quite a nice position. So hopefully that we’ll take some of our existing owners and with a very low marketing cost be able to get them to extend their lease with us.

You’ve seen a lot over the years obviously. What are your thoughts on the upcoming Timeshare Directive?
It has its good side and its less-good side. The good side is that it does make it more difficult for people with less-ethical interests to come into this business and it’s going to make it much more difficult for these holiday pack clubs to be able to operate. The less-fortunate side is it’s very hard for a new player to come into this business because the laws make it very difficult – to come in with the cost of getting into this business today by trying to build an owner base from scratch is very difficult. So there’s good and not so good. It would be healthy if we had new entrants coming into this business, but I can see that that’s not easy. Unless you’re a hotel group, because you need to have access to some fairly cost-efficient lead-generation programs. If we didn’t have our owner base to fall back on with our sales, it would be very difficult to justify the costs that you have to pay for bringing in first-time buyers and getting them to join up.

Peter, thank you for taking the time to speak with me. Before we finish up, is there anything else you like to say?

If you’ve been in the business a while and have taken care of your owner base as we have, it’s a great business, and it’s great to see these owners that come back year after year and write in the comment sheet how much they’ve enjoyed it and that they’ve had a great time. It gives me great satisfaction that after all this time owners have had 25 years of great vacations with Pestana.

Diverse Programs Have the Singular Focus of Helping Disadvantaged Youth

The successful Petchey Group of companies (www.petchey.co.uk) has evolved over the past six decades, mainly due to the farsightedness, entrepreneurial flair and positive thinking of its founder, Jack Petchey. With offices in Ilford, Essex, the group currently encompasses property investment and development, timeshare management and The Jack Petchey Foundation, a separate registered charity to support youth. But while the Petchey empire is vast today, it comes from humble beginnings, and Petchey is a real “rags to riches” story.

Petchey, now in his eighties, was born into a poor working class family in the East End of London in 1925. After leaving school aged 14, with no qualifications, he worked as an office boy before joining the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm in 1943. At the end of the Second World War he applied for officer training but was unsuccessful. He then left the forces and became a clerk. When he later applied for a management position at the firm, the personnel officer told him “you’ll never make a businessman.” But Jack refused to give up. With £60 to his name, Jack spent his discharge gratuity from the Navy on his first second-hand car, which he then used to start his own taxi business.

The years following World War II saw the birth of the Petchey Group, with Jack Petchey rapidly escalating from owning and driving a mini cab, to controlling a fleet of hire cars, then opening car showrooms, and subsequently diversifying to purchasing properties including the development of the immensely popular Clube Praia da Oura in the Algarve, Portugal. Jack worked long and hard, branching off into other business ventures and becoming a multi-millionaire and one of the UK’s most successful businessmen.

In 1999, Jack established the Jack Petchey Foundation, which has since given in excess of £60 million to support youth projects. Petchey still oversees the Petchey Group through monthly meetings with the division heads who run the day-to-day operations, such as Petchey Foundation Chief Operations Officer Trudy Kilcullen.

The launch of Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge! at the House of Lords. Petchey is pictured with the winners of SpeakOut 2009.

Foundational Work
The Jack Petchey Foundation was originally formed to assist young people in East London and Essex. The Jack Petchey Achievement Award Scheme was launched especially for youths who say they need “half a chance” and was designed to help others to help themselves and then help others. It is a great motivator and rewards youths for determination to succeed rather than excellence. Today, the boundaries of the Foundation now include the whole of London and Essex. What’s more, in 2004 the Jack Petchey Foundation began work in Portugal and operates in more than 500 schools and clubs there.

The Foundation works with young people aged 11 to 25 through a range of programs, including:
• The Jack Petchey Achievement Award Scheme – recognizing young people’s accomplishments in over 2,000 secondary schools and youth organizations across London and Essex
• Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge! – one of the world’s largest speaking competitions for young people
• Step into Dance – promoting dance in over 100 schools, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Dance
• The Petchey Academy – a successful academy in Hackney, London

“Think of a youth activity and we’re probably supporting it in one way or another,” says Kilcullen, who has worked with youth charity organizations for more than 25 years. “But all with the aim of trying to engage the young people, keep them off the streets, give them an interest, give them a sense of pride, and then help them go on and develop their confidence and give back to society.”

Kilcullen and her staff of 10 certainly have their hands full: “There are actually about 2,000 schools and youth clubs involved in the achievement award program,” she says, “and we’re trying to encourage young people to understand that they can make a difference too by supporting others.”

“Our ambition is to make them better citizens and to help themselves and to help other people,” Petchey explains, “and I think we achieve that. We make them feel proud and lift up their heads.”

In the past 10 years, the Petchey Foundation has given out an estimated 65,000 achievement awards – “that’s 65,000 young people who’ve been impacted directly by the Foundation and are going on to change their own communities,” Kilcullen clarifies.

The organization also donates £7 million annually, and has handed out £65 million over the past 10 years. “But it’s much more than just giving money away,” Petchey says. “We hope that we give them some leadership and encouragement to develop a sense of pride in themselves.

Petchey Foundation Chief Operating Officer Trudy Kilcullen helps launch the T.S. Jack Petchey, a vessel for the Sea Cadets

Foundation grants have included the following worthwhile endeavors:
• Over £5million to enable out of school hours activities across London and Essex
• £1.5 million to establish and promote the Summer Uni program in all London Boroughs
• £1 million to support a new scout lodge
• £1 million to help the Sea Cadets purchase a training ship for young people
• Grants to help 75 schools achieve Specialist School Status
• Sponsorship for thousands of individual young people to take part in volunteering here in the UK and overseas
• Funding for The Petchey Centre for Entrepreneurship – established at the University of East London to help young people get their business ideas off the ground

“I’ve gained a lot from life – a lot of experience and a lot materially – and it’s really important to give something back to society,” says Petchey. “I believe that we’ve all got an obligation to give something back to society – some can give more than others, but we’ve all got obligations.”

“In terms of being a force for change,” adds Kilcullen, “as the young people write back to Jack and tell him the difference that the Foundation makes to their life, it’s those stories that are the real impact at the end of the day.”

For more information or to donate, visit www.jackpetcheyfoundation.org.uk.

Hutchinson & Co Trust Company Limited is proud to announce that on the 5th February 2010, the Group celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a gathering of nearly one hundred staff, past and present, at the beautiful Elvetham Hall in Hampshire. Elvetham is steeped in history, having been owned by the family of Jane Seymour, one of Henry VIII’s wives and famed as being the site of the first performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Initially, Hutchinson’s acted as Collection Agent for resorts in Portugal and Malta. However, the company soon realized the huge potential that the industry offered to professionals prepared to marry their expertise and integrity to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of the emerging sales and marketing entrepreneurs. In 1990, Peter Hutchinson, Group Chairman, took the key decision to take the company to the next level and as a result, Hutchinson & Co Trust Company Limited was formed.

During the last twenty five years, the Group has gone from strength to strength, consistently providing a quick, efficient, professional and value for money service, permitting the company to become one of the top specialized Holiday Ownership Trustees in Europe and the largest in India and the Far East. In summarizing the Group’s success, Peter Hutchinson remarked:

“The only constant throughout the last 25 years has been change! And our success has been built on the ability to adapt to what the market demands and to maintain a level of service which is always one step above the expectations of our clients! Our business life is a far cry from its beginnings when Joy Pope and I both worked from home, with a single phone line, typewriter and telex machine, between us! Indeed, that which seemed daunting in 1985 now seems mundane and it will not be long before we can say that at any hour of the day, somewhere in the world, there is a Hutchinson office open for business!”

In 2007, the Group set up a specialist subsidiary, Citadel Trustees Ltd, with a principle focus on emerging products, such as green energy products, requiring stakeholder, trustee and escrow services, as well as Hotel buy-to-let schemes and other leisure related investment products. Citadel has grown rapidly and is now authorized by the UK Financial Services Authority to set-up, operate and manage Unregulated Collective Investments Schemes, an area of business which has seen very strong growth in recent years and one which will be of particular focus for the company in the future. The Group now boasts offices in the UK, Spain, India, Thailand and China and is involved with projects valued at over $2.5 billion!

For further information about Hutchinson or Citadel, please contact Christopher Allen, Director, Client Services and Business Development, by email chrisallen@citadeltrustees.com or, call the company’s UK Head Office +44 (0) 1276
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