How long has HCT Group been operating?
HCT Group was founded in 1982 when a number of local community groups in the London Borough of Hackney decided to pool their transport resources in order that more journeys could be provided to local voluntary groups, community organisations and charities. In those days, the organisation was called Hackney Community Transport. In 2006 we changed our name to HCT Group, in order to reflect the fact that our services were now operating across London and in other parts of the UK, whilst retaining a link to our roots in Hackney.
What is the difference between HCT Group and Hackney Community Transport?
Hackney Community Transport still exists within our Group structure, and is reflective of where HCT Group started. Hackney Community Transport has been providing Group Transport services to local community organisations, groups and clubs in Hackney since 1982, and offers a range of both standard and fully accessible vehicles. It also provides Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS) training. The services are partially funded by Hackney Council and are provided at subsidised rates to members. More information on Hackney Community Transport can be found here.
HCT Group is the name of the parent company for all of our operations. It is a company limited by guarantee (and therefore has no shareholders) which is registered in England and Wales. The company is also a registered charity.
What is CT Plus?
Our trading subsidiary is called CT Plus, all of the share capital of which is owned by the Group. CT Plus runs the majority of our transport and training services in London and owns the CT Plus trading brand. CT Plus became a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2007. A CIC is a form of UK limited company designed specifically for social enterprises.
CT Plus (Yorkshire) runs all of our services in Yorkshire. It is also a CIC, and all the share capital is owned by CT Plus. It operates from depots in Leeds and Wakefield.
What happens to HCT’s profits?
Our profits are generated through the successful operation of transport contracts won in the marketplace. Our profits are not distributed to shareholders, but are instead applied to create community value. This is at the heart of what we do as a social enterprise whose vision is social justice and equality for all.
We create community value in the following ways:
- We reinvest profits from our commercial contracts into further transport services or projects in the local communities we serve. We often do this in partnership with local community transport organisations, because of the value of their local knowledge and expertise.
- We deliver training services for people who are long-term unemployed, specifically focusing on employment and skills.
- We aim to create employment opportunities for people in deprived communities, contribute to our local economies and actively seek new ways to make our communities better places to live and work through the way we operate.
How many people do you employ?
We currently employ about 1800 people.
Where do you operate?
We operate in London, Yorkshire, Manchester, Derbyshire, Bristol, Jersey and Guernsey - you can explore our operations with this interactive map.
Where is your head office?
Our senior staff are located at our Curtain Rd headquarters:
HCT Group
1st Floor, 141 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3BX
Telephone: 020 7275 2400
Fax: 020 7275 2450
Email: [email protected]
Who runs HCT Group on a day to day basis?
All of our operations are managed on a day-to-day basis by our senior management team, who are based at our Cuertain Road headquarters:
Chief Executive Officer - Dai Powell
Chief Finance Officer - John Smart
Operation Director - Jane Desmond
How is the board of trustees selected?
HCT Group is very proud to have an experienced and diverse Board with a broad range of sector-specific skills. Board members are recruited from the open market based on the needs of the organisation. They are, collectively and individually, appraised regularly. HCT also conducts periodic skills audits of our Board and Senior Executive team to ensure that we have the appropriate skill set in our governing team.
The board meets regularly and has a maximum of 12 members, and are appointed for a period of three years. Retiring directors may be reappointed for a second term of up to three years.
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