Page 16 - BOSS Today Issue 19

60 second interview

ALL YOU NEED IS

LOVE

Graeme Chapman MBE is now Chairman of The BOSS Benevolent Fund
(BenFund). Martin Wilde gets a sense of his enthusiasm for the charity,

and of what it might have been like singing with The Beatles....

MW: So, Graeme, why people who have worked in our a thousand plus sites (eg Tesco,
did you take on the industry, and their close family John Lewis, thetrainline.com
BenFund Chairmanship? members. Some have illness etc) you can opt to purchase
GC: Having been a trustee for or disabilities and need help through ‘Give As You Live’ in aid
four years and Vice Chairman to purchase a wheelchair or of the ‘BOSS Benevolent Fund’,
for one, when the evergreen mobility scooter or a necessary and a percentage of that sale
Stanley Vaughan asked me adaptation to their home. In will go to the fund, but will cost
to succeed him as Chairman, last year’s harsh winter we you, the purchaser, absolutely
saying they wanted ‘younger helped several folk meet a steep nothing! So if you do shop on ABOUT GRAEME
blood’ in the Chair, I readily increase in fuel bills. Another line and would like to help,
agreed. I haven’t been called chap is totally housebound please contact Cathy Priddle at CHAPMAN, MBE
‘young’ for some time! and relies on his phone more cathy@bossfederation.co.uk Now (theoretically)
than most, so we supported for further information. retired, Graeme’s
MW: What does the him with his phone bill. We try 44 years in the OP
role entail? to fairly assess each case, and MW: Tell me one thing industry have seen
GC: Together with a great and where possible have someone that people probably him working in various
reliable team of trustees, I’m meet with them in their own won’t know about the roles in manufacturing
responsible for bringing in the home to talk things through. In BenFund? (Acco), wholesaling
(Kingfield Heath) and
funds, for dispensing them, and my time as a trustee we have GC: Each trustee and visitor is dealer groups (Office
for overseeing the finances. helped c98% of those who have an unpaid volunteer, receiving Friendly), and as a
applied. only expenses (and not MPs Director of all of them.
MW: What are the type expenses!), and giving Well known for his
challenges? MW: You said that freely of their time, which in charitable fundraising,
GC: Not surprisingly, it’s mainly ‘raising funds’ was the some cases is considerable. which began with
raising funds, but - perhaps main challenge: where the Ethiopian famine
surprisingly - it’s also finding does the money come MW: And tell me one in 1985, followed by
people from the OP industry from? thing that people 19 years for Children
In Need and seven
who need our assistance. In GC: Our vital fundraising events probably won’t for The Institute of
these days of austerity it’s are the BOSS Awards Dinner and know about Graeme Cancer Research, he
hard to believe there are not the BenGolf day. We are also Chapman? and his team have
more folk who - for whatever very grateful to certain dealer GC: During a lunchtime Cavern to date raised over
reason - have fallen on hard groups and BOSS Regional session in Liverpool in the early £1m. In 2000 he was
times and need our help. If any Dinner Dances. 1960s I once sang with The presented with an
readers know of any colleagues Beatles (before their first hit MBE by the Queen for
or industry friends who are MW: What can BOSS and while Pete Best was their his services to charity.
struggling to cope, please let us members do to help? drummer). In 2011 he received
know - in confidence - about GC: Thanks to on-line the BOSS Outstanding
Achievement Award
them. shopping, we now have a MW: So, what was John and - last year - a
wonderful opportunity to Lennon really like? Special Recognition
MW: So what kind of develop a new income stream GC: Moody, awkward, creative Award from EOPA,
people do you help? that will cost members nothing! and one of the very best rock sponsored by OPI.
GC: It’s a real cross section of If you shop on-line with any of voices ever.

16 BOSS TODAY | October 2013

p16 60 sec.indd 1 02/10/2013 14:12