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A tree-mendous volunteer effort. (from bottom) Pete Chapman, with Jayne Beasant, Chief Executive East Cheshire Hospice and Sir Nicholas Winterton MP. |
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Pete Chapman is a triple-threat. Demonstrating commitment to community, creative leadership skills, smart thinking and execution, Chapman — a Delivery Project Executive in Manchester, UK — has been giving back to his local community since 1999.
Chapman is a key driver behind the hugely successful Annual Christmas Tree Collection (link resides outside ibm.com) benefiting the East Cheshire Hospice. Over the past ten years, he has picked up and mulched thousands of trees to raise funds.
"Imagine the challenge of taking over 4,600 individual bookings for recycling and then making house to house collections in one weekend," said Chapman. "We must coordinate 57 lorry (truck) teams, give exact directions to 1,507 different roads and houses and then turn all the trees into 46 tons of mulch — and, of course, feed all of our helpers!"
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The world's largest holiday tree recovery effort?
So how does all of this work get done each year? With a lot of leadership from Chapman and his colleague Richard Raymond, and a little help from On Demand Community tools.
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At an early morning meeting, Chapman briefs a team of volunteers on the logistics of the day. |
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By applying his IBM professional skills and knowledge and leveraging On Demand Community project management tools*, Chapman developed a full project management plan which included using the Web to recruit volunteers and enable local citizens to book collections. Digital mapping technologies are used to ensure that the most efficient collection routes are taken — all the while minimizing cost and environmental impact.
"To do this job relies on months of close planning with a project plan running to almost 300 lines, a detailed risk management plan, some increasingly elaborate technology including detailed mapping linked to A-Z map grid references and Googlemaps," says Chapman.
The results of the Christmas Tree Collection speak for themselves: revenue growth is up 344 percent in five years; income is up 21 percent per tree, costs are contained at fewer than 5 percent and customer satisfaction is at an all time high.
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"Save all that mess in your car by having your tree collected and recycled in return for a donation to charity," says Chapman. The suggested minimum donation is £4, but most people give more. |
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Revenue from the project is generated by donations associated with home collection of trees, corporate sponsorship (including IBM), a grant from the local council for keeping trees out of the landfill and this year (still to be confirmed and added to the final total) over £5,000 in government gift aid.
How is Pete Chapman building a smarter planet?
Through the application of digital mapping techniques to plan efficient and effective collection routes — an approach that would have been unknown, unavailable and unaffordable until very recently — Chapman is using new intelligence (PDF, 184KB).* In addition, by recycling bio-mass and reducing unnecessary car trips, Chapman is truly promoting Green & Beyond* practices.
"This is now the largest charitable Christmas Tree collection in the UK and possibly the world," says Chapman. "Other hospices are now starting their own collections and we have been delighted to share our resources. With IBM's help could we spread this globally!"
* link available to IBM employees only
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