How did you develop a social view of society?

I was brought up in Newport, South Wales and developed a very strong awareness of social injustice from a young age. I had a sense of the hurdles that people needed to overcome simply to conduct their day-to-day lives. I would say that I became socially politicised as a child and when this happens I think it manifests itself in the decisions we make and aspirations that we have as we get older.

How did that lead into the position you're in now?

I began working for HCT in 1990 as a volunteer vehicle washer because I had found myself out of work and wanted something to do. Within three months a paid position became available, so I took it and carried on as before. HCT was very small in those days, with only eight members of staff, but I already had the feeling that it was an organisation that could grow and go on to achieve great things. Within two years I was leading the organisation.

How does your enterprise work?

The fundamental ethos of HCT has always been to provide access to transport facilities for all, irrespective of any barriers relating to access and use, and this is reflected in all our activities.

We offer a range of community transport services, including our award-winning ScootAbility service in Camden and a number of responsive transport services such as our Capital Call scheme. And we hire out minibuses in several London boroughs. 

We also operate under our CT Plus brand, providing school buses in West Yorkshire, special educational needs transport services in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, social services transport in Kensington and Chelsea, two special bus routes in East London and the AccessBus service in Leeds. 

Along with these, we run a learning centre, which we use to provide training services to local people in order to help them gain employment within the transport sector. We aim to further our social enterprise credentials through raising local employability levels in the areas where we operate.

What are your ambitions for the future?

My ambitions have always been the same – to build an enterprise that makes a huge difference to the lives of the people working within it, to the lives of the people who are using the services and to society at large. My philosophy is that the better you do, the more good you do, and therefore the growing success of HCT can only lead to increased good. 

What resources do you find useful in your work?

The most important resource to me is people, people, people.  It is impossible to build a successful business without the team which strives to achieve the business objectives. I also find my BlackBerry rather useful!

What other social entrepreneurs/businesses do you admire and why?

I know this sounds corny but I admire anyone who has managed to grow their business whilst maintaining their vision. I’m too diplomatic to name names!

What advice would you give to budding social entrepreneurs?

I think the key is to follow the vision and take the risks. It’s very easy to get diverted from the original reason you started doing what you’re doing, so it’s essential to avoid distractions and keep going.

What are the best and worst parts of your job?

Managing cash flow is always a challenge, along with the day-to-day difficulties of having to make unpleasant decisions regarding staff management and such things. However, the best bits far outweigh the downsides. I get an enormous sense of pride from knowing that HCT really makes a difference. And, obviously, winning a contract in which we have successfully competed against much larger organisations is also a huge boost.

What do you want to achieve as an ambassador?

I think my role as an ambassador will enable me to promote the concept of social enterprise as an equally valid business model in the market place and to demonstrate that it’s a real alternative to the corporate world that so many people feel disillusioned with.